Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman who was for years Jeffrey Epstein's right hand in his network of abuse and trafficking of minors, has reemerged at the center of the scandal by appearing—virtually and behind closed doors—before the United States Congress.
But instead of cooperating, Maxwell chose to invoke the Fifth Amendment, avoiding any questions from the House Oversight Committee, as several news agencies reported this Tuesday.
In exchange for breaking his silence, he has issued an unprecedented condition: he will only testify if President Donald Trump grants him a pardon.
An anticipated appearance... and a preemptive move
From a minimum-security prison in Texas, where she is serving a 20-year sentence, Maxwell was summoned to testify on February 9 before the committee investigating Epstein's connections with powerful figures.
His intervention did not surprise the legislators: as expected, he refused to answer questions under the Fifth Amendment, which allows one to avoid self-incrimination.
What did cause a stir was the message conveyed by his defense.
“The president Trump can end this right now,” suggested his lawyer, David Oscar Markus.
Markus also assured that both Trump and Bill Clinton “are innocent of any crime,” but emphasized that “only Mrs. Maxwell can explain why.”
An exchange attempt that outrages Congress
Maxwell's silence, coupled with such explicit political demands, sparked outrage among lawmakers.
The Democratic representative Melanie Stansbury was emphatic: "It is very clear that he is campaigning for a pardon."
His colleague Robert García went further, directly accusing Trump's circle of protecting her: “After months of ignoring our summons, Ghislaine Maxwell finally appeared before the committee and remained silent. Who is she protecting?”
Even among the Republicans, there were heated reactions.
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wrote on social media: “THERE IS NO CLEMENCY. Comply or you will be punished. You deserve JUSTICE for what you did, monster.”
The president of the committee, James Comer, expressed his frustration over what he considered a missed opportunity: “We were seeking key information about accomplices who have not yet been prosecuted. Their silence is disappointing.”
Epstein Files: Names Erased, Half-Truths
Maxwell's appearance coincided with a new point of tension in the Epstein case: the partial release of the so-called Epstein files, judicial documents declassified under the Transparency Act enacted in 2023.
This law requires the Department of Justice to disclose all records related to Epstein, with the exception of the victims' names.
But according to several congress members' reports, names of influential individuals have also been censored without clear justification. “There are six men, some with photos, whose names were removed without explanation,” stated Democrat Ro Khanna, co-author of the bill.
His Republican colleague Thomas Massie added that one of those censured "is quite high up in a foreign government."
Khanna published several examples: emails sent to Epstein with phrases like "A new Brazilian just arrived, sexy and pretty..." or "Thanks for a fun night," with the senders' names crossed out. For him, this represents a "flagrant violation" of the law.
Trump, Clinton, and the network of cover-ups
Maxwell's attempt to exchange her testimony for leniency becomes even more significant due to the figures she mentions: Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Both had public and private relationships with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s.
Photos, flight records, and entries in schedules prove that they shared meetings with the magnate and with Maxwell herself.
None have been formally charged, but Trump's name appears on an FBI list that includes anonymous allegations of sexual assault. The Department of Justice clarified that these are "false and sensationalist claims" received in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.
"There is no credible evidence against President Trump," the institution emphasized in a recent statement. However, the fallout from the leaked documents has fueled doubts and reignited public pressure on both former presidents.
Clinton, for his part, along with his wife, Hillary Clinton, has been called to testify before the same committee at the end of February. According to Maxwell's defense, his testimony could also exonerate them.
From "willing witness" to accused of concealment
Maxwell's behavior has shown notable contradictions. In July 2023, she met for two days with then Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche without invoking her right to silence. Her sudden change of attitude, now that Congress is questioning her, has been scrutinized by several legislators, including Ro Khanna himself: "This stance seems inconsistent with her previous behavior."
Maxwell is also seeking to overturn her conviction through another route. In December, she filed a petition with a federal judge in New York to reopen her case, claiming that her trial was marked by "constitutional violations."
For the victims, however, there is no possible ambiguity. Relatives of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most well-known accusers in the Epstein case, sent a letter to Congress describing Maxwell as an “active accomplice” in the abuse rather than just a mere witness.
Representative Jamie Raskin, visibly frustrated, expressed that the country is not taking the damage caused by Epstein's network seriously: “I fear that the overall deterioration of American life has conditioned people not to take this as seriously as we should.”
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