Ghislaine Maxwell Offers Testimony Under Conditions Amid Congressional Investigation

Washington, D.C. — Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking, has expressed willingness to testify before Congress next month, but only if granted immunity or a presidential pardon. Her attorney, David Markus, outlined these conditions in a letter obtained by CBS News.

Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence, was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee amid ongoing investigations into the Trump administration’s handling of her case. The deposition is set for August 11 at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, where she is incarcerated.

In the letter addressed to House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer, Markus emphasized that Maxwell cannot risk further legal exposure and requires official immunity to proceed. He wrote, “Those are non-starters. Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity.”

Markus also requested that questions be provided in advance to ensure accurate responses and stressed that conducting the deposition in prison posed security risks. Maxwell was convicted for her role in helping Jeffrey Epstein exploit underage girls. Epstein died in custody in 2019, ruled a suicide.

Alongside her appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction, Markus noted that providing testimony now could jeopardize her constitutional rights and impact future legal proceedings.

He indicated that if President Trump were to pardon Maxwell or commute her sentence, she would be eager to testify publicly in Washington, D.C. Conversely, if her conditions are not met, she will invoke her Fifth Amendment rights.

A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee responded that they will not consider granting immunity for Maxwell’s testimony. Comer explained that the committee is looking for information to improve federal efforts against sex trafficking.

Recent remarks from President Trump highlighted his conditional ability to pardon Maxwell but noted that no one has made such a request. Some of Epstein and Maxwell’s victims’ families voiced strong opposition to any leniency for Maxwell, calling her a “monster” deserving of life sentences.

“Maxwell destroyed many young lives,” read the statement from Virginia Giuffre‘s family. “She must remain in prison — anything less would be a travesty of justice.”

The situation escalated when Trump mentioned his past relationship with Epstein, suggesting he distanced himself due to Epstein’s behavior. Giuffre’s family criticized his comments, clarifying that Maxwell was responsible for recruiting Giuffre when she was a minor working at Mar-a-Lago.