Ghislaine Maxwell, who is implicated in the Epstein case, appeared before a House of Representatives Committee. Maxwell refused to answer questions during her testimony, invoking the rights granted to her by the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The testimony took place after months of efforts by the Committee to secure Maxwell’s presence, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence at a correctional facility in Texas. Despite the significance of the proceedings, no new evidence emerged, according to Committee members.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Refused to answer whether she had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
When asked if she had a relationship with Epstein, Maxwell said: “I would like to answer your question, but upon advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer this question and any related questions. The habeas corpus petition (appeal against the legality of detention) I have filed is pending in the Southern District of New York. Therefore, I invoke my right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
“Unfortunately, she had the opportunity today to answer questions that concern every American and are critical to this investigation, and she chose to invoke the Fifth Amendment,” stated the Committee chairman after the testimony concluded. As he noted, Maxwell’s legal team made prepared statements at the beginning, before she refused to answer questions.
For his part, the ranking Democratic member of the Committee, Robert Garcia, emphasized that “after months of ignoring the subpoena, Ghislaine Maxwell finally appeared and said nothing,” adding that she provided no information “about the men who raped and trafficked women and girls.” The Committee had issued the initial subpoena in July. Maxwell was convicted in 2022, when a federal court found her guilty of assisting Epstein in trafficking underage girls. She has denied abusing anyone and maintains she was used as a scapegoat after the financier’s death in prison in 2019, a claim prosecutors have rejected.
According to reports, Maxwell had not invoked the right to silence when she met in July with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche regarding the Epstein case, as she had been granted limited immunity at that time. However, James Comer rejected her request for broader immunity in exchange for her testimony. Her attorney reportedly stated she would only answer questions if granted a pardon by President Donald Trump, a proposal the Committee chairman categorically rejected.
❌ ‘I respectively decline to answer this question and any related questions.’
Ghislaine Maxwell wore her prison uniform while testifying before Congress that she could not answer any questions about Jeffrey Epstein, video footage shows.
Maxwell spoke only to spell her name and… pic.twitter.com/Zn1F83qjkM
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 10, 2026
