Ghislaine Maxwell pleads Fifth, offers clemency deal to clear Trump

On Feb. 9, 2026, Ghislaine Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee, refusing to answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell's attorney DODavid Oscar Markus stated during the deposition that "Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump" and that both Trump and Clinton "are innocent of any wrongdoing."

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) called Maxwell's refusal to testify "very disappointing" and said lawmakers "had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed."

Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking, including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts and sex trafficking of a minor. She was convicted in 2021.

In July 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (Trump's former personal defense attorney) interviewed Maxwell for two days. During that interview, Maxwell said she never saw Trump in any "inappropriate setting."

Within days of her July 2025 interview with Blanche, Maxwell was transferred from FCI Tallahassee (a low-security prison in 🌴Florida) to FPC Bryan (a minimum-security prison camp in 🤠Texas).

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said a whistleblower reported that Maxwell receives preferential treatment at the 🤠Texas facility, including customized meals delivered to her cell, a puppy to play with, and private after-hours exercise time.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) said Maxwell's clemency offer is "all strategy for her to try to get a pardon from President Trump, and she's never shown any remorse for the victims in this entire case."

The deposition occurred the same day the Justice Department began allowing members of Congress to review unredacted Epstein files, after criticism for heavy redactions in publicly released documents.

Trump hasn't ruled out granting Maxwell clemency. When asked in November 2025, he said "I haven't thought about it for months" and "I don't rule it in or out."