Ghislaine Maxwell Offers to Testify Before Congress But Sets Strong Conditions

Ghislaine Maxwell,  key accomplice of disgraced financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has offered to testify before the House Oversight Committee but only under strict conditions, including full immunity, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing the copy of a letter from her attorneys to Chair James Comer. 

The committee had subpoenaed Maxwell to testify next month. Initially, her legal team had said that Maxwell would invoke her Fifth Amendment rights, but later extended an offer to cooperate “if a fair and safe path forward can be established,” the report said.

Underlining that Maxwell is currently appealing her conviction to the US Supreme Court, her lawyers said “any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool,” as reported by CNN.

The letter, the report said, also criticised public remarks by members of Congress, stating that some have “prejudged Ms. Maxwell’s credibility without even listening to what she has to say,”

What Has Ghislaine Maxwell Demanded?

According to the CNN report, Maxwell’s conditions to testify include:

• Formal grant of immunity.
• Testimony held outside her correctional facility.
• Committee must provide questions in advance.
• Interview to be scheduled only after her Supreme Court and habeas petitions are resolved (likely in October).

Her attorneys said that if these demands aren’t met, “Maxwell will have no choice but to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights.”

Congressman Comer Pushes Back

According to the report, the Oversight Committee rejected her call for immunity. A spokesperson told CNN that the committee will respond soon but “will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony.” Representative Comer further told the network, “I don’t think there are many Republicans that want to give immunity to someone that may have been sex trafficking children.”

Final Appeal to Trump

Additionally, Maxwell’s legal team also issued a plea to President Donald Trump for clemency. “Of course, in the alternative, 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. She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions,” her attorneys said, per CNN.

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