Ghislaine Maxwell Appeals For Clemency From Trump As She Declines To Answer Questions - Beritaja

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., flanked by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., left, and Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., speaks to reporters aft a closed-door deposition pinch Ghislaine Maxwell, the erstwhile woman and confidante of activity trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, astatine the Capitol successful Washington, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

WASHINGTON — Ghislaine Maxwell, the erstwhile woman of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to reply questions from House lawmakers successful a deposition Monday, but indicated that if President Donald Trump ended her situation sentence, she was consenting to attest that neither he nor erstwhile President Bill Clinton had done thing incorrect successful their connections pinch Epstein.

The House Oversight Committee had wanted Maxwell to reply questions during a video telephone to the national situation campy successful Texas wherever she's serving a 20-year condemnation for activity trafficking, but she invoked her Fifth Amendment authorities to debar answering questions that would beryllium self-incriminating. She's travel nether caller scrutiny arsenic lawmakers effort to analyse really Epstein, a well-connected financier, was capable to sexually maltreatment underage girls for years.

Amid a reckoning complete Epstein's maltreatment that has spilled into the highest levels of businesses and governments about the globe, lawmakers are searching for anyone who was connected to Epstein and whitethorn person facilitated his abuse. So far, the revelations person shown really some Trump and Clinton spent clip pinch Epstein successful the 1990s and early 2000s, but they person not been credibly accused of wrongdoing.

Dressed successful a brown, prison-issued garment and sitting astatine a convention array pinch a vessel of water, Maxwell many times said she was invoking "my Fifth Amendment correct to silence," video later released by the committee showed.

During the closed-door deposition, Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus said successful a connection to the committee that "Maxwell is prepared to speak afloat and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump."

He added that some Trump and Clinton "are guiltless of immoderate wrongdoing," but that "Ms. Maxwell unsocial could explicate why, and the nationalist is entitled to that explanation."

Maxwell's entreaty hits pushback

Democrats said that was a brazen effort by Maxwell to person Trump extremity her situation sentence.

"It's very clear she's campaigning for clemency," said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat.

Asked Monday about Maxwell's appeal, the White House pointed to erstwhile remarks from the president that indicated the imaginable of a pardon was not connected his radar.

And different Republicans push backed to the conception quickly aft Maxwell made the appeal.

"NO CLEMENCY. You comply aliases look punishment," Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, wrote connected societal media. "You merit JUSTICE for what you did you monster."

Maxwell has besides been seeking to person her condemnation overturned, arguing that she was wrongfully convicted. The Supreme Court rejected her entreaty past year, but successful December she requested that a national judge successful New York see what her attorneys picture arsenic "substantial caller evidence" that her proceedings was spoiled by law violations.

Maxwell's lawyer cited that petition arsenic he told lawmakers she would invoke her Fifth Amendment rights.

Family members of the precocious Virginia Giuffre, 1 of the about outspoken victims of Epstein, besides released a missive to Maxwell making it clear they did not see her "a bystander" to Epstein's abuse.

"You were a central, deliberate character successful a strategy built to find children, isolate them, groom them, and present them to abuse," Sky and Amanda Roberts wrote successful the missive addressed to Maxwell.

Maxwell was moved from a national situation successful Florida to a low-security situation campy successful Texas past summertime aft she participated successful two-days of interviews pinch Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The Republican chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, had besides subpoenaed her astatine the time, but her attorneys person consistently told the committee that she wouldn't reply questions. However, Comer came nether unit to clasp the deposition arsenic he pressed for the committee to enforce subpoenas connected Bill Clinton and erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Comer threatened them pinch contempt of Congress charges, they some agreed to beryllium for depositions later this month.

Comer has been haggling pinch the Clintons complete whether that grounds should beryllium held successful a nationalist hearing, but Comer reiterated Monday that he would insist connected holding closed-door depositions and later releasing transcripts and video.

Lawmakers reappraisal unredacted files

Meanwhile, respective lawmakers visited a Justice Department agency successful Washington Monday to look done unredacted versions of the files connected Epstein that the section has released to comply pinch a rule passed by Congress past year. As portion of an statement pinch the Justice Department, lawmakers were fixed entree to the complete 3 cardinal released files successful a reference room pinch 4 computers. Lawmakers could only make handwritten notes, and their unit are not allowed successful pinch them.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the apical Democrat connected the House Judiciary Committee, spent respective hours successful the reference room Monday morning. He told reporters arsenic he returned to the Capitol that moreover if each the House members who triggered the ballot connected releasing the files "spent each waking hr complete astatine the Department of Justice, it would still return america months to get done each of those documents."

Democrats connected Raskin's committee are looking up to a Wednesday proceeding pinch Attorney General Pam Bondi, wherever they are expected to sharply mobility her connected the publication of the Epstein files. The Justice Department grounded to redact the individual accusation of galore victims, including inadvertently releasing nude photos of them.

"Over and complete we begged them, please beryllium careful, please beryllium much careful," said Jennifer Freeman, an lawyer representing survivors. "The harm has already been done. It feels incompetent, it feels intimidating and it feels intentional."

Democrats besides opportunity the Justice Department redacted accusation that should person been made public, including accusation that could lead to scrutiny of Epstein's associates.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who sponsored the authorities to unit the merchandise of the files, said that aft reviewing the unredacted versions for respective hours, he had recovered the names of six men "that are apt incriminated by their inclusion." He called connected the Justice Department to prosecute accountability for the men, but said he could perchance sanction them successful a House level speech, wherever his actions would beryllium constitutionally protected from lawsuits.

Massie, on pinch California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, said they besides came crossed a number of files that still had redactions. They said that was apt because the FBI had turned complete redacted versions of the files to the Justice Department.

Khanna said "it wasn't conscionable Epstein and Maxwell" who were progressive successful sexually abusing underage girls.

Release of the files has group successful mobility aggregate governmental crises about the world, including successful the United Kingdom, wherever Prime Minister Keir Starmer is clinging to his occupation aft it was revealed his erstwhile ambassador to the U.S. had maintained adjacent ties to Epstein. But Democratic lawmakers bemoaned that truthful acold U.S. governmental figures look to beryllium escaping unscathed.

"I'm conscionable acrophobic that the wide worsening and degradation of American life has someway conditioned group not to return this arsenic earnestly arsenic we should beryllium taking it," Raskin said.