Maxwell demands immunity after subpoena from House Oversight Committee

The Hill

7 days ago

An attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell said she would only speak with the House Oversight Committee if granted immunity — an idea the panel swiftly rejected.
The panel last week subpoenaed Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, compelling her testimony amid demands on the Trump administration to release files from the financier who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Marcus, noted that she has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court and her testimony to the committee could jeopardize efforts to overturn her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking children.
'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,' Marcus 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 spokeswoman for the committee immediately ruled 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 said in a statement.
Marcus had said Maxwell would testify 'if a fair and safe path forward can be established.'
Beyond a grant of immunity, Marcus also asked for questions to be shared in advance and for any deposition to take place after the Supreme Court 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 indirect reference to a possible pardon, something Marcus has said he has not yet sought from 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.,' Marcus wrote.
House Oversight Democrats had backed the move 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,' House 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.'
Epstein ran with high-powered figures, including those in politics as well as President Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi has told Trump that he is referenced in the Epstein files.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week flew to Tallahassee, Fla., where Maxwell is serving her 20-year sentence, undertaking two days of questioning 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 said ahead of the meetings.