Maxwell, Epstein accomplice, pleads Fifth Amendment to Congress

Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell refused Monday to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee, invoking her Fifth Amendment legal right.

Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, was subpoenaed to testify before the House Oversight Committee to discuss her dealings with the financier.

Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, said Maxwell had invoked her right not to incriminate herself, guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

"As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the Fifth and refused to answer any questions," Comer told reporters. "This is obviously very disappointing."

"We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed as well as questions about potential co-conspirators," he said.

Maxwell's lawyers told the House panel that the former British socialite was prepared to testify only if President Donald Trump first granted her clemency, Comer said.

Lawyers had lobbied Congress to grant her legal immunity so she could testify, but lawmakers refused.

Maxwell is the only person convicted of a crime related to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

Maxwell, 64, was convicted in 2021 of supplying underage girls to the wealthy financier, who had ties to top business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics.

Maxwell was scheduled to testify virtually from the Texas prison where she is serving her sentence.

Her testimony comes amid the Justice Department's release of millions of documents, photos and videos related to the Epstein investigation.