Ghislaine Maxwell, presently serving a 20-year federal jail sentence for intercourse trafficking and conspiracy costs linked to financier Jeffrey Epstein, has formally supplied to testify earlier than the USA Congress, however solely underneath particular authorized protections. In a letter despatched by her authorized workforce to the Home Oversight Committee, Maxwell acknowledged that she is prepared to offer data relating to Epstein’s community and associated issues, offered she receives full immunity from future prosecution.
The request comes as a part of ongoing congressional curiosity in revisiting the Epstein case, significantly with regard to people and methods that will have enabled or did not cease Epstein’s abuse of underage women. In response to a subpoena issued by the committee for a deposition scheduled on August 11 2025, Maxwell’s attorneys submitted a listing of circumstances that must be met for her cooperation.
Among the many circumstances outlined within the letter, Maxwell seeks a proper grant of immunity from all future federal, state, and civil prosecution. She has additionally requested that the deposition not happen on the Tallahassee, Florida federal jail the place she is incarcerated, and that she be offered the committee’s questions prematurely. Moreover, her authorized workforce requested for the deposition to be postponed till after the decision of two ongoing authorized issues: her pending Supreme Courtroom enchantment and a habeas corpus petition. Her attorneys additional acknowledged that if she have been granted clemency or a presidential pardon, she could be prepared to testify publicly and in particular person earlier than Congress in Washington, D.C.
Maxwell’s authorized workforce indicated that with out the requested protections, she would invoke her Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination and decline to reply questions. The Fifth Modification protects people from being compelled to testify in a way that might result in self-incrimination in prison instances. A spokesperson for the Home Oversight Committee has confirmed receipt of Maxwell’s letter however acknowledged that the committee doesn’t intend to think about a grant of congressional immunity in trade for her testimony. Whereas Congress has the authority to grant restricted immunity to compel testimony, it’s a uncommon and politically delicate course of, usually requiring coordination with the Division of Justice to make sure it doesn’t intervene with ongoing investigations or future prosecutions.
Maxwell, 63, was convicted in December 2021 on 5 federal counts, together with intercourse trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to entice minors to journey to interact in unlawful intercourse acts. Her conviction was a major milestone within the Epstein case, which started unraveling publicly in 2019 following Epstein’s arrest and subsequent demise in jail.
The renewed curiosity in Maxwell’s potential testimony comes amid broader efforts by Congress to research systemic failures associated to Epstein’s community, together with how he maintained high-level social and monetary connections whereas committing crimes over a few years. The Oversight Committee has indicated that it’s reviewing the function of federal authorities, monetary establishments, and different entities that will have performed an element. Individually, Maxwell lately participated in a two-day interview with U.S. Deputy Legal professional Common Todd Blanche underneath circumstances that reportedly concerned a restricted type of immunity. The small print and scope of that assembly stay undisclosed.
Whereas public response to Maxwell’s supply stays divided, authorized analysts notice that any cooperation from her would should be weighed fastidiously towards the potential dangers of immunity. Granting such safety might restrict future prosecutions or civil fits, and the federal government would want to make sure that any settlement aligns with broader justice targets. For now, it stays unclear whether or not Congress or the Division of Justice will have interaction additional with Maxwell relating to her proposal. The scheduled deposition for August 11 stays on the calendar, although her attorneys have signaled she won’t take part underneath present circumstances.