Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a House deposition but offered to testify that neither Donald Trump nor Bill Clinton committed wrongdoing if President Trump grants her clemency. Lawmakers rejected the offer, calling it a brazen attempt to end her sentence, as they continue to investigate Epstein's network and review unredacted files.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend, declined to answer questions from House lawmakers during a Monday deposition, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. However, her attorney stated that Maxwell is willing to testify that neither former Presidents Donald Trump nor Bill Clinton engaged in any wrongdoing concerning their connections with Epstein, provided President Trump grants her clemency. This offer was met with strong pushback from lawmakers, with Democrats labeling it a 'brazen effort' to secure an early release from her 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. The White House indicated a pardon was not on Trump's radar, and Republican lawmakers also condemned the clemency appeal. Maxwell is currently seeking to overturn her conviction, arguing constitutional violations. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee continues its investigation into Epstein's network, with Bill and Hillary Clinton agreeing to closed-door depositions later this month. Separately, lawmakers are reviewing millions of unredacted Epstein files at the Justice Department, discovering issues with victim privacy breaches and previously redacted information. Some lawmakers, like Rep. Thomas Massie, have identified names of individuals 'likely incriminated' within these files, emphasizing that the abuse extended beyond just Epstein and Maxwell. The ongoing revelations have sparked political crises globally, though U.S. figures have largely avoided significant repercussions so far.
