House Oversight Committee Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's Request For Immunity In Exchange For Her Testimony

WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee connected Tuesday declined a petition from Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers to assistance her immunity in speech for providing testimony to Congress.

Maxwell's lawyers said successful a missive connected Tuesday that Maxwell would beryllium consenting to attest earlier Congress if she received general immunity, alongside different requests.

If Maxwell "were to person clemency, she would beryllium consenting — and eager — to attest openly and honestly, successful public, earlier Congress successful Washington, D.C.," her lawyers wrote. Otherwise, she would asseverate her Fifth Amendment authorities and diminution to testify, they said.

But a spokesperson for House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said nan committee would respond to nan missive "soon" but "will not see granting legislature immunity for her testimony."

The committee subpoenaed Maxwell past week for a deposition from situation to return spot connected Aug. 11.

In nan letter, addressed to Comer, Maxwell's lawyers laid retired respective requests.

"First, nationalist reports—including your ain statements—indicate that nan Committee intends to mobility Ms. Maxwell successful situation and without a assistance of immunity," wrote lawyers David Oscar Markus, Leah Saffian and Melissa Madrigal successful nan letter. "Those are non-starters."

Maxwell's lawyers based on that she "cannot consequence further criminal vulnerability successful a politically charged situation without general immunity," adding that a situation mounting for a deposition increases nan anticipation of leaks and "creates existent information risks and undermines nan integrity of nan process."

They besides requested that nan committee supply questions successful beforehand and hold to schedule an quality until after nan Supreme Court decides whether to measurement successful connected Maxwell's petition that her condemnation beryllium overturned.

"Please fto america cognize whether nan Committee is amenable to these conditions," nan missive said. "If not, Ms. Maxwell will person nary prime but to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights."

The Trump management has faced accrued scrutiny complete its handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, who died successful jailhouse successful 2019 while awaiting proceedings connected national activity trafficking charges.

The move marks nan latest improvement successful nan contention complete nan Epstein saga, which has proven to beryllium a uncommon root of conflict successful President Donald Trump’s base. Maxwell is serving a 20-year situation condemnation after being convicted successful 2021 connected national activity trafficking charges.

Maxwell met privately pinch Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche past week for astir 9 hours complete 2 days. In a connection released earlier successful nan week, Blanche said that "President Trump has told america to merchandise each reliable evidence."