Ghislaine Maxwell throws down gauntlet on testimony

In a bold twist in the ongoing saga surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell has thrown her hat in the ring to testify before Congress under some very specific conditions. Knewz.com can reveal that Maxwell’s legal team has sent a list of demands to the House Oversight Committee, and they include one big-ticket item: immunity.

House Oversight Chair James Comer has subpoenaed the imprisoned socialite to appear on August 11, but Maxwell’s attorneys are playing hardball. In a letter sent to Comer on Tuesday, July 29, they indicated that while she initially invoked her Fifth Amendment rights, she’s now open to cooperation “if a fair and safe path forward can be established.” Her legal team is adamant about the risks involved, arguing that “any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool.” They have strong words for lawmakers, noting that “public comments from members of Congress that appear to have prejudged Ms. Maxwell’s credibility” could further complicate her situation.

A spokeswoman for the Oversight Committee quickly shot down the idea of granting Maxwell immunity, stating, “The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony.” Maxwell’s list of conditions lays it all out in black and white: She’s asking for a grant of formal immunity. The former socialite is also requesting that the interview not take place at the Tallahassee, Florida, correctional facility where she’s currently serving her sentence. To ensure an accurate and fair deposition, Maxwell wants the Committee to provide questions in advance, as “surprise questioning would be both inappropriate and unproductive.” Finally, scheduling of the interview would only occur “after the resolution of her Supreme Court petition and her forthcoming habeas petition.” Her legal team warns that if these demands are not met, “Maxwell will have no choice but to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights.”

Maxwell’s legal team filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, July 28, arguing that her 2021 trafficking conviction should be thrown out because former boyfriend Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement promised “the United States” would not charge any of his co-conspirators, named or unnamed. Maxwell’s lawyers argued that she was included under that deal and that the non-prosecution agreement applies to her. They claimed that as a co-conspirator, she should never have been charged in the first place. Federal prosecutors have countered that the non-prosecution agreement applied only in Florida and not in New York, where Epstein and Maxwell were both hit with federal trafficking charges in 2019. Epstein was found dead in his prison cell before going to trial. Maxwell was convicted on five counts related to trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The Supreme Court filing came just days after President Trump’s Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, met with Maxwell in Tallahassee. During the two-day session, she was granted a limited form of immunity, according to sources. Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, revealed that she was questioned about “maybe 100 different people” during her sessions with the deputy attorney general. He said she answered “every question” and that “she didn’t hold anything back.” Markus added, “There have been no asks and no promises.” There has been speculation Maxwell would ask for a pardon, a lesser sentence, or other demands in exchange for cooperating with the feds. Markus revealed, “We haven’t asked for anything. This is not a situation where we are asking for anything in return for testimony or anything like that. Of course, everybody knows Ms. Maxwell would welcome any relief.” Trump said on Monday, July 28, he hadn’t been approached about pardoning Maxwell. “Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon, but I – nobody’s approached me with it. Nobody’s asked me about it. It’s in the news about that, that aspect of it, but right now, it would be inappropriate to talk about it,” he boasted to reporters while on a trip to Scotland.