Ghislaine Maxwell to 'Plead the Fifth' as She Refuses to Testify Before Congress Without Clemency Amid Ongoing Jeffrey Epstein Probe

Ghislaine Maxwell is expected to appear before Congress in the coming weeks.

The former longtime girlfriend and co-conspirator of late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is scheduled to appear virtually before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday, February 9.

However, the former British socialite — who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for s--trafficking in 2022 — most likely won't talk.

According to Committee Chairman James Comer, her lawyers indicated that she plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment right to decline to speak to authorities.

Commenting on her intention to "plead the Fifth," Comer said, "I hope she changes her mind, because I want to hear from her."

"We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition," he added.

Maxwell, 64, was initially subpoenaed in July 2025 to appear the following month, but the committee denied her request for immunity in return for her testimony.

Maxwell's lawyers said in a letter to Comer on January 20, "Put plainly, proceeding under these circumstances would serve no other purpose than pure political theatre and a complete waste of taxpayer monies."

It continued, "The Committee would obtain no testimony, no answers, and no new facts. The only certainty is a public spectacle in which a witness repeatedly invokes the Fifth Amendment."

They also asked that the committee postpone her testimony until an appeal to have her conviction overturned is resolved. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her case after she appealed against her conviction in October 2025.

"Testimony under oath while a habeas petition is pending would risk irreparable prejudice to her constitutional claims and expose her to further criminal jeopardy," the letter said.

It went on, "If Ms Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing – and eager – to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, DC."

Democratic committee member Robert Garcia accused the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, January 21, of showing Maxwell "special treatment."

"For months, Ghislaine Maxwell has defied the subpoena ordering her to testify to the Oversight Committee," the congressman said in a statement.

"After pressure from Oversight Democrats, Chairman Comer has finally decided to call her in to testify," he continued. "But let’s be clear: the cover-up is continuing. She has gotten special treatment from the DOJ for months. Let’s end the cover-up now."

In August 2025, Maxwell was relocated to a less restrictive prison just days after meeting with the Department of Justice.