Quick Read
- Ghislaine Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right during a House Oversight Committee deposition on February 10, 2026.
- She refused to answer questions related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case from her Texas prison.
- Maxwell had previously offered to clear Donald Trump’s name in exchange for clemency, which the White House denied discussing.
- Lawmakers and Epstein survivors expressed disappointment, with survivors urging skepticism of her testimony.
- The deposition coincided with Congress reviewing millions of newly unredacted Epstein files, revealing numerous co-conspirators.
WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of financier Jeffrey Epstein, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination on February 10, 2026, refusing to answer questions during a virtual deposition with the House Oversight Committee. Her silence underscores the ongoing legal complexities and potential for further investigations related to the vast sex trafficking operation Epstein orchestrated.
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence at a minimum-security prison in Bryan, Texas, appeared virtually before the congressional panel. Her attorney, Leah Saffian, was present during the deposition. The invocation of the Fifth Amendment, which grants individuals the right to refuse to answer questions that might incriminate them, was widely anticipated but nonetheless met with frustration from lawmakers and survivors.
Maxwell’s Congressional Appearance and Clemency Bid
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, expressed disappointment following Maxwell’s refusal to testify. He stated that while he respected her constitutional rights, the committee had numerous questions regarding the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as potential co-conspirators. Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury observed that Maxwell appeared to use the opportunity to ‘campaign for clemency’ during her brief appearance.
Reports from CNN indicated that Maxwell had previously sent a message to former President Donald Trump, offering to clear his name of any wrongdoing related to Epstein in exchange for a presidential pardon. However, the White House has consistently maintained that ‘no leniency is being given or discussed’ in relation to Maxwell’s case.
Reactions and Calls for Accountability in the Epstein Case
The deposition occurred amidst heightened scrutiny of the Epstein case, particularly following the recent release of millions of previously unredacted files by the Department of Justice. A group of Epstein survivors had urged members of the House Oversight Committee to treat Maxwell’s testimony ‘with the utmost skepticism’ prior to her appearance. In a letter entered into evidence during the deposition, the survivors accused Maxwell of repeatedly lying under oath and refusing to identify other powerful men involved in Epstein’s sex trafficking network. They warned against affording her any ‘special treatment’ or ‘credibility’ that could undermine the pursuit of truth and justice.
One survivor explicitly stated, as reported by ABC News, that ‘it was because of Ghislaine Maxwell that I ended up being abused,’ highlighting her central role in facilitating Epstein’s crimes. Chairman Comer echoed these sentiments, stating that it was clear from speaking to survivors that Maxwell was a ‘very bad person’ undeserving of immunity.
Unredacted Files and Broader Implications
The timing of Maxwell’s deposition coincided with members of Congress gaining access to unredacted versions of the Jeffrey Epstein files at the Department of Justice. Democratic Representatives Jared Moskowitz and Jamie Raskin, after reviewing some of the documents, spoke of ‘lots of co-conspirators’ and ‘lots of examples’ of unnecessary redactions, respectively. Moskowitz described the contents as ‘disgusting’ and confirmed that the files revealed extensive trafficking of girls across the world.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, her former boyfriend, to exploit over decades. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The ongoing review of the unredacted files and Maxwell’s continued refusal to cooperate fully suggest that the full scope of Epstein’s network and its high-profile enablers remains an active area of investigation.
Maxwell’s decision to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights, while constitutionally protected, complicates efforts to fully uncover the extent of Jeffrey Epstein’s network, leaving key questions about potential co-conspirators unanswered and signaling that the pursuit of complete accountability in this complex case is far from over.