House committee denies Ghislaine Maxwell’s immunity request
A U.S. House of Representatives committee has rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s request for immunity from future prosecution as a condition for providing testimony related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell is a former British socialite and associate of Epstein.
She was convicted of helping him recruit, groom and abuse underage girls as part of a sex trafficking operation. In June 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Congress is investigating Epstein’s sex crimes. As part of the inquiry, they subpoenaed Maxwell, who is currently in prison, to testify under oath on Aug. 11.
Maxwell’s conditions for testimony
Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus, sent a letter on Tuesday to James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House committee conducting the investigation. Markus said that Maxwell is willing to testify, but she will only do it if two conditions are met: she is not required to testify from prison, and she’s granted immunity.
“Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity. Nor is a prison setting conducive to eliciting truthful and complete testimony,” Markus wrote to Comer. “The potential for leaks from such a setting creates real security risks and undermines the integrity of the process.”
Oversight committee responds, Trump denies giving pardon
According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the Oversight Committee stated in an emailed response: “The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony.”
Maxwell is trying to get her conviction overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, and President Donald Trump has said he does not plan to pardon her. In recent weeks, Trump has faced persistent questions about his ties to Epstein and how his administration has dealt with the case.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
