Ghislaine Maxwell declined to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee, with her attorney stating that she would only provide the desired responses under certain conditions.
Maxwell appeared for a congressional hearing on February 9 in New York, where she is currently incarcerated following her conviction for her participation in a scheme alongside Jeffrey Epstein to exploit and abuse multiple underage girls over a span of ten years.
In 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for offenses that are believed to have occurred between 1994 and 2004.
The congressional oversight committee continues to probe Epstein’s crimes and questioned Maxwell in an attempt to gather more details about him and others involved in the alleged sexual abuse of hundreds of women.
Maxwell opted to invoke the Fifth Amendment and refrained from answering questions, following the advice of her lawyer, David Markus.
Before Maxwell could even state her name, Markus intervened and remarked: “If this committee and the American public genuinely wish to hear the unfiltered truth about what transpired, there is a clear path.”
“Ms. Maxwell is willing to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.”
He continued, “Only she can provide a complete account, and some might not like what they hear, but the truth matters.”
Markus further stated that Trump and former president Bill Clinton are ‘innocent of any wrongdoing’ and asserted that Maxwell can provide an explanation.
“The public deserves to hear that explanation,” he conveyed to the committee.
After his remarks, Maxwell refused to answer any questions during the brief hearing, which lasted under 20 minutes.
Explaining his advice for Maxwell to remain silent, Markus stated: “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.”
“She must remain silent because Ms. Maxwell has a habeas petition currently pending that demonstrates that her conviction rests on a fundamentally unfair trial.”
According to the United States Attorney’s office, Maxwell – who was once reported to have had a romantic relationship with Epstein – assisted, facilitated, and participated in Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by helping him recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to both Maxwell and Epstein to be under 18.
As of November 2025, the Justice Department reported that at least 1,000 women were victimized by Epstein, as stated by USA Today.
If you have been affected by the issues covered in this article, you can reach out to The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Alternatively, you can chat online at online.rainn.org.