Republican-led House Committee Postpones Ghislaine Maxwell Deposition

Congressional grounds by Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell antecedently scheduled for mid-August will beryllium postponed until astatine slightest October, nan chair of nan Republican-led House Oversight Committee indicated successful a missive Friday.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said successful nan missive obtained by NBC News that nan committee would see adjacent steps aft the Supreme Court successful precocious September decides whether it will reappraisal Maxwell's condemnation arsenic a activity offender.

The committee subpoenaed Maxwell for a deposition past period and scheduled it for Aug. 11, citing nan "immense nationalist liking and scrutiny" surrounding her lawsuit and Epstein's.

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In Friday's letter, Comer reiterated his desire to question and reply Maxwell, calling her grounds "vital to nan Committee’s efforts regarding Mr. Jeffrey Epstein, including nan 2007 non-prosecution statement and nan circumstances surrounding Mr. Epstein’s death."

"These investigative efforts whitethorn beryllium utilized to pass imaginable authorities to amended national efforts to combat activity trafficking and betterment nan usage of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements successful sex-crime investigations," he wrote.

Maxwell's lawyers, David Oscar Markus and Melissa Madrigal, said successful a connection they "appreciate nan Committee's willingness to delay" nan deposition and "will proceed to prosecute pinch Congress successful bully religion to find a measurement for Ms. Maxwell to stock her accusation without compromising her law rights."

Maxwell's attorneys antecedently indicated that she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment authorities during nan deposition unless nan committee granted her immunity, telling Comer successful a missive connected Tuesday that absent nan ineligible protection Maxwell's grounds "could discuss her law rights, prejudice her ineligible claims, and perchance taint a early assemblage pool."

The Oversight Committee successful its missive Friday said it remains "unwilling" to assistance Maxwell legislature immunity, but will "continue to prosecute successful bully religion negotiations" regarding nan particulars of nan deposition.

Maxwell for months has been pleading pinch nan Supreme Court to overturn her 2021 condemnation connected national activity trafficking charges and consequent 20-year situation sentence, arguing that her condemnation violated a non-prosecution statement prosecutors successful Florida made pinch Epstein successful 2007 that extended to respective of his co-conspirators.

Federal prosecutors person based on that nan 2007 statement applies only successful Florida, wherever it was reached, and not New York, wherever Maxwell's 2021 proceedings took place. The national judge who oversaw that trial, Judge Alison Nathan, agreed. The Supreme Court indicated Wednesday it would see whether to reappraisal Maxwell's lawsuit during a backstage convention connected Sept. 29.

The Oversight Committee's lawsuit for Maxwell was sent erstwhile nan Trump management was coming nether expanding unit to disclose much accusation related to Epstein, who died successful jailhouse successful 2019 while awaiting proceedings connected national activity trafficking charges. His decease by termination has sparked conspiracy theories for years, immoderate of which person been promoted by management officials and Trump allies.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met pinch Maxwell and her lawyer past week for an question and reply that spanned 9 hours crossed 2 days. The Justice Department charismatic has made nary nationalist statements astir what Maxwell said during their meeting.

On Friday, Maxwell was moved to a minimum-security national situation campy successful Texas that only houses women, dissimilar nan Florida installation wherever she was antecedently held, which houses some men and women.

Trump, alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi, had pledged to merchandise each files pertaining to nan investigation, including a purported "client list" of group who benefited from Epstein's crimes. In a stunning about-face past month, nan Justice Department released a memo outlining its determination to cease further disclosures while dismissing respective conspiracy theories related to nan case.

The memo roiled Trump's guidelines and proved to beryllium a uncommon constituent of contention betwixt nan president and his supporters, peculiarly arsenic further news reports emerged highlighting Trump and Epstein's past relationship.

Hours aft nan Wall Street Journal reported past period that Trump wrote a missive to Epstein successful 2003 pinch a drafting of a naked woman, Trump directed Bondi to activity nan merchandise of "pertinent" expansive assemblage grounds from Epstein and Maxwell's cases.

A national judge successful Florida denied nan request, while different successful New York has sought further accusation from nan authorities earlier making a ruling.