Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted associate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the US Oversight Committee on Monday (local time), according to media reports.
Maxwell appeared before the commission on virtual release from a Texas prison, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and sex trafficking charges. She invoked the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution and remained silent throughout.
What is the Fifth Amendment?
The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution protects people’s right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions that may incriminate them. Before her appearance before the committee, Maxwell’s legal team made it clear that she would invoke that right and refuse to answer questions during her testimony.
House Republican Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said, according to the BBC, that “as expected” Maxwell pleaded the Fifth Amendment and invoked her right to remain silent.
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Oversight Committee Disappointed: Chairman James Comer
Comer expressed his disappointment and said they have many questions for Maxwell about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as potential co-conspirators. He added: “We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people and justice for the survivors, that’s what this investigation is about.”
Republican committeewoman Nancy Mace said when a convicted sex offender invokes the Fifth Amendment, it’s no longer about self-incrimination; rather, it’s about self-preservation and not wanting to cross paths with the rich and powerful people she was selling these children to. “The American people deserve to know their names. They deserve an investigation,” she added.
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Ghislaine Maxwell pleads for mercy
According to reports, Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, said in a social media post that his client is ready to speak frankly and fully, provided US President Donald Trump grants her a pardon. “Only she can give a full account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters,” he wrote.
In a statement to the committee, Maxwell’s lawyer said both Trump and former President Bill Clinton “are innocent of any wrongdoing,” but only Maxwell can explain that.
What is grace?
According to the US Constitution (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1), the President “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” It provides a broad amnesty for federal crimes. Presidential clemency applies only to federal crimes, not state crimes or civil matters. Furthermore, the president cannot use the power of pardon in cases of impeachment.
What is the Jeffrey Epstein case?
In 2005, the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported to the Palm Beach Police Department that Epstein, a wealthy financier, molested their daughter at his residence in Florida, claiming that he paid her money in exchange for sexual acts with him. A police investigation led to the involvement of the FBI in 2006.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to two felonies, including solicitation of a minor for prostitution. That plea deal allowed Epstein to avoid federal prosecution and serve a lesser sentence in county jail.
He was arrested again in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. In August 2019, Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell, allegedly by suicide.
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Epstein’s former girlfriend and associate Maxwell managed his stable of victims. A jury convicted her in 2021 of federal charges of trafficking minors and conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. She lured underage girls to be used by Epstein. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison in Texas. Despite allegations that she lied to federal officials in earlier proceedings, she is now asking Trump for a pardon before agreeing to testify before Congress.
