An lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell mentioned she would solely communicate with the Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee if granted immunity — an thought the panel swiftly rejected.
The panel final week subpoenaed Maxwell, an affiliate of Jeffrey Epstein, compelling her testimony amid calls for on the Trump administration to launch recordsdata from the financier who killed himself whereas awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking prices.
Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, famous that she has filed an attraction earlier than the Supreme Court docket and her testimony to the committee may jeopardize efforts to overturn her 2021 conviction for intercourse trafficking kids.
“As you know, Ms. Maxwell is actively pursuing post-conviction relief — both in a pending petition before the United States Supreme Court and in a forthcoming habeas petition. Any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool,” Markus wrote.
“Public reports—including your own statements—indicate that the Committee intends to question Ms. Maxwell in prison and without a grant of immunity. Those are non-starters. Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity.”
A spokesperson for the committee instantly dominated out any grant of immunity.
“The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,” committee spokesperson Jessica Collins mentioned in an announcement.
Markus had mentioned Maxwell would testify “if a fair and safe path forward can be established.”
Past a grant of immunity, Markus additionally requested for inquiries to be shared upfront and for any deposition to happen after the Supreme Court docket weighs Maxwell’s petition.
“To prepare adequately for any congressional deposition—and to ensure accuracy and fairness—we would require the Committee’s questions in advance. This is essential not only to allow for meaningful preparation, but also to identify the relevant documentation from millions of pages that could corroborate her responses,” he wrote.
The letter then made an oblique reference to a doable pardon, one thing Markus has mentioned he has not but sought from President Trump.
“Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.,” Markus wrote.
Home Oversight Democrats had backed the transfer from Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) earlier this month to subpoena Maxwell.
“Oversight Democrats just unanimously voted to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s partner,” Home Oversight Democrats wrote on the social platform X after the vote.
“This is progress. We will not stop fighting until the Epstein Files are released. Trump and Bondi must stop blocking the American people from the truth,” they wrote, referencing Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi.
Epstein ran with high-powered figures, together with these in politics in addition to Trump. The Wall Avenue Journal reported that Bondi has informed Trump that he’s referenced within the Epstein recordsdata.
Deputy Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche final week flew to Tallahassee, Fla., the place Maxwell is serving her 20-year sentence, endeavor two days of questioning together with her.
“This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead,” he mentioned forward of the conferences.
