Ghislaine Maxwell needs immunity or a pardon earlier than congressional deposition
Washington — Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of aiding intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, is keen to supply data to a congressional committee subsequent month throughout a deposition however provided that she is granted immunity or is pardoned, in keeping with a letter from her lawyer obtained by CBS Information.
Final week, the GOP-led Home Oversight Committee subpoenaed Maxwell, who’s serving a 20-year jail sentence, to take a seat for a deposition as fallout over the Trump administration’s dealing with of the case continues to accentuate. A deposition was scheduled for Aug. 11 at a federal jail in Tallahassee, the place Maxwell is serving her sentence.
Nonetheless, in a letter Tuesday addressed to Home Oversight chairman Rep. James Comer, Maxwell’s lawyer David Markus mentioned she is keen to take a seat earlier than the committee however solely after sure authorized appeals are finalized or his consumer is granted clemency or a pardon by President Trump.
“Public experiences — together with your personal statements — point out that the Committee intends to query Ms. Maxwell in jail and with no grant of immunity. These are non-starters. Ms. Maxwell can’t threat additional legal publicity in a politically charged surroundings with out formal immunity,” Markus wrote.
Markus wrote that any inquiries to Maxwell must be given to her upfront to “guarantee accuracy and equity,” and that conducting the deposition in jail would create “safety dangers and undermines the integrity of the method.”
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her function in serving to Epstein recruit, groom and abuse underage women. She is serving a 20-year jail sentence. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 as he confronted intercourse trafficking fees. His dying was dominated a suicide.
Markus wrote that as a result of Maxwell’s ongoing enchantment to the Supreme Courtroom to overturn her conviction and different authorized points are presently pending, “any testimony she gives now might compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her authorized claims, and doubtlessly taint a future jury pool.”
Nonetheless, Markus wrote, if President Trump had been to pardon Maxwell or commute her sentence, “she can be keen—and keen—to testify brazenly and truthfully, in public, earlier than Congress in Washington, D.C.”
If these situations are usually not agreed to, Markus wrote, Maxwell “could have no alternative however to invoke her Fifth Modification rights.”
A spokesperson for the Home Oversight Committee mentioned in an announcement that the committee will reply to Markus’ letter “quickly,” however mentioned it “won’t contemplate granting congressional immunity for her testimony.”
In a letter to Maxwell informing her of the subpoena, Comer wrote that the committee is looking for Maxwell’s testimony “to tell the consideration of potential legislative options to enhance federal efforts to fight intercourse trafficking and reform using non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations.”
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her function in serving to Epstein recruit, groom and abuse underage women. She is serving a 20-year jail sentence. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 as he confronted intercourse trafficking fees. His dying was dominated a suicide.
Todd Blanche, the second highest-ranking Justice Division official, met with Maxwell in Tallahassee on July 24 and 25 to debate Epstein.
After the questioning had ended, Markus declined to remark “on the substance” of the assembly, however instructed reporters outdoors the workplace that “there have been loads of questions and we went all day.”
Neither President Trump nor Markus have dominated out the potential for a pardon for Maxwell, however on Monday Mr. Trump mentioned he’s “allowed” to pardon Maxwell however that no person has requested him to situation one, but.
Scott MacFarlane contributed to this reporting
