Congress subpoenas Ghislaine Maxwell and plans a prison interview even after House Speaker questioned her credibility

Independent

4 days ago

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has issued a subpoena ordering Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, to testify from prison in Florida.
Comer set Maxwell's deposition date for August 11 as the Trump administration faces mounting criticism over the Epstein files. Maxwell is set to be interviewed at the Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee, where she is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse young girls.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also announced Tuesday he has contacted Maxwell's attorneys to set up a meeting with her. Comer said the Justice Department is 'cooperating and will help facilitate the deposition at the prison.' Some have called for Maxwell to testify to shed light on if any other people were involved with Epstein's actions.
The subpoena comes after Speaker of the House Mike Johnson questioned whether Maxwell's testimony will be truthful.
'If they see fit to bring in Ghislaine Maxwell for testimony, that's fine,' Johnson told reporters Wednesday. 'I will note the obvious concern, the caveat that Chairman Comer and I and everyone has, that, can she be counted on to tell the truth? Is she a credible witness?'
'I mean, this is a person who's been sentenced to many, many years in prison for terrible, unspeakable, conspiratorial acts and acts against innocent young people,' he added. 'I mean, can we trust what she's going to say, even if she raises her hand and says that she'll testify under oath?'
Maxwell's attorney, David Markus, told The Independent he understands the 'general concern' that Congress should vet witnesses, but says Johnson's worries are 'unfounded' in this case.
'If Ms. Maxwell agrees to testify before Congress and not take the 5th—and that remains a big if—she would testify truthfully, as she always has said she would and as she will with Mr. Blanche,' Markus wrote. 'The truth should not be feared or preemptively dismissed. No previous prosecutor from the Southern District of New York or elsewhere has had the courage to meet with Ms. Maxwell and ask her these important questions.'
'As for the Congressional subpoena, Ms. Maxwell is taking this one step at a time,' he added. 'She looks forward to her meeting with the Department of Justice, and that discussion will help inform how she proceeds.'
Johnson said the House will go on its annual summer recess beginning Wednesday. The break comes as Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna — a Republican and Democrat, respectively — lead a charge to force a vote that would compel the Justice Department to release more information on Epstein.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department and FBI released a memo claiming that Epstein did not have a client list, even though Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested it was on her desk months prior. The memo also confirmed the financier died by suicide while in jail in August 2019, after years of conspiracy theories surrounding his death. The memo stated there would be 'no further disclosure' related to the Epstein investigation.
Trump has defended Bondi and his administration amid backlash from both sides of the aisle. He also directed Bondi to begin the process of unsealing grand jury testimony related to the Epstein investigation. The Justice Department has since requested that the testimony be unsealed. Judges in Florida and New York rejected the requests Wednesday.