Ghislaine Maxwell Agrees to Virtual Deposition Before House Oversight Committee; Lawyers Say She May Plead the Fifth

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has agreed to give a virtual deposition under oath to the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 9, the committee’s chairman said. Committee Chairman James Comer announced the schedule while noting Maxwell's attorneys have indicated she intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights.

Committee Plans and Legal Pushback

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were both indicted on federal sex trafficking charges stemming from Epstein's years of abuse of underage girls.(Getty Images)

Comer said he hopes Maxwell will testify despite her lawyers' warning that she will refuse to answer questions. In a letter submitted to the committee, Maxwell's legal team argued that forcing testimony would amount to "pure political theater" and a waste of taxpayer money, asserting the committee would gain no meaningful testimony or new facts.

"Put plainly, proceeding under these circumstances would serve no other purpose than pure political theater and a complete waste of taxpayer monies," Maxwell's attorneys wrote, according to the BBC.

Judge Blocks Lawmakers' Bid to Oversee Release of Epstein Files

The development comes after U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that he lacked jurisdiction to appoint an outside expert to ensure the Justice Department complies with a legal mandate to release all files related to the prosecution of Epstein. In a seven-page opinion, the judge said the only parties to the case are Maxwell and the United States and described the matter as "effectively closed."

Ghislaine Maxwell jogs around the track at FCI Tallahassee, Tallahassee, Florida, Thursday, July 10, 2025. Maxwell is serving a twenty-year sentence for sex trafficking in connection with Jeffrey Epstein.

That ruling halted efforts by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to participate in Maxwell's case as amici curiae or to serve as a special master under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). Massie said he appreciated the judge’s consideration and that he and Khanna remain committed to pursuing other avenues to compel the DOJ to follow the law.

Background and Committee Actions

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges related to recruiting and trafficking underage girls who were abused by Jeffrey Epstein, and she is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence. In July 2025 the House Oversight Committee denied Maxwell’s request to exchange testimony for legal immunity; about a month later, the committee issued a subpoena requiring her to provide evidence under oath.

Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York on July 2, 2020.

The committee also plans to consider whether former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be held in contempt for declining to appear before investigators as part of the broader inquiry into how federal authorities handled the Epstein case.

Reporting Note: Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.