Maxwell’s refusal to testify in Congressional hearing on Epstein case fuels claims about White House cover-up

Ghislaine Maxwell’s refusal to answer congressional questions has fueled accusations of a White House cover-up and renewed scrutiny of Washington’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with a central concern over whom she is protecting.

The dead convicted sex offender's longtime close associate, Maxwell, now 64, refused to answer any questions during a closed-door congressional deposition on Monday, invoking her Fifth Amendment right and drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers pushing to release the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files.

Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight and government reform committee, said Maxwell “answered no questions and provided no information about the men who raped and trafficked women and girls.”

“Who is she protecting?" he asked, adding, “And we need to know why she’s been given special treatment at a low security prison by the Trump administration. We are going to end this White House cover-up.”

Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury also said after the hearing that Maxwell used the session to “campaign for clemency.”

Maxwell, who is convicted of luring teenage girls into Epstein’s abuse network and now serving a 20-year sentence, was represented at the session by her attorney, David Oscar Markus.

“On my advice, Ghislaine Maxwell will respectfully invoke her Fifth Amendment right to silence and decline to answer questions today even though she would very much like to answer your questions,” he said, adding that she must remain silent because she "has a habeas petition currently pending that demonstrates that her conviction rests on a fundamentally unfair trial."

Markus noted that there was “a straightforward path” to the truth, saying Maxwell would speak “fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.”

“For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation,” Markus added.

The White House declined a substantive comment, with a spokesperson pointing to earlier remarks by press secretary Karoline Leavitt that clemency was not under discussion.

Lawmakers noted the contradiction between Maxwell’s silence before Congress and her cooperation with the Trump administration earlier this year.

Back in July, Maxwell spent two days being interviewed by Todd Blanche, Trump’s deputy attorney general and former criminal defense lawyer.

“This position appears inconsistent with Ms Maxwell’s prior conduct,” said Ro Khanna, a Democratic co-sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, noting that she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment during that meeting.

Afterward, Markus had said that Maxwell “answered every single question asked of her… She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question.”

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Under Blanche’s questioning, Maxwell reportedly distanced Trump from Epstein, as the president faced political backlash for reversing his promise to release the Epstein files, later calling them a hoax despite signing the transparency act.

Khanna said he planned to question Maxwell about “four named co-conspirators” and “25 men” she previously referenced, asking, “Who are the four co-conspirators and the 25 men, other than Jeffrey Epstein, who sexually abused minors at Epstein’s island?”

He also sought answers on alleged “client lists,” despite Justice Department claims that no such list exists - claims undermined by released documents and accusers’ statements.

Maxwell’s brother Ian confirmed ahead of the session that “Ghislaine has been advised and will invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer questions.”

In a letter sent to the House Oversight Committee ahead of Maxwell’s appearance, a group of Epstein survivors warned lawmakers to treat any claims she makes with skepticism.

They faulted her for refusing to name “the many powerful men” involved in Epstein’s trafficking network and for declining to “meaningfully cooperate” with law enforcement, warning that granting her any “special treatment” or “credibility afforded to her testimony” would be devastating for survivors.

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