House panel seeks testimony from Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
July 22 (UPI) -- A House Oversight subcommittee unanimously approved a motion to subpoena former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell amid renewed interest in the case.
Only four subcommittee members were present when the vote on the subpoena motion was held on Tuesday at the request of Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., NBC News reported.
The motion directs committee chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., to subpoena Maxwell to testify before the Oversight Committee regarding former financier Epstein and his alleged ties to President Donald Trump and others.
"The committee will seek to subpoena Ms. Maxwell as expeditiously as possible," a committee spokesperson told The Hill.
"Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the committee will work with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when [the] committee can depose her."
Maxwell is imprisoned for 20 years in Florida due to her 2021 conviction on federal sex trafficking charges arising from her activities with Epstein.
She was accused of grooming teen girls, whom convicted sex offender Epstein had abused sexually.
Maxwell's trial and conviction occurred after Epstein killed himself while jailed and awaiting trial on related federal charges in New York City.
Many House Republicans and Democrats seek Maxwell's testimony on the matter, resulting in Tuesday's unanimous vote to subpoena her.
The subpoena request occurs amid criticism over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein case files.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced the House will recess until Sept. 2 after concluding business on Wednesday.
Johnson accused House Democrats of engaging in "political games" over the Epstein case files by using the House Rules Committee to potentially force votes related to the Epstein files.
"We're not going to let them use this as a political battering ram," Johnson told media on Tuesday.
"The Rules Committee became the ground for them to do that."
He said the Trump administration already is addressing the matter.
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday directed Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to seek a meeting with Maxwell to review the details of the former case against Epstein.
"I have communicated with counsel for Ms. Maxwell to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors," Blanche said in a social media post.
He anticipates meeting with Maxwell "in the coming days."
Bondi earlier said she would make public the files from the Epstein case, but recently said there is no client list and nothing of note to share.
The attorney general's handling of the matter triggered disagreement among House Republicans and others, which led to Tuesday's actions in the House and by the Department of Justice.
This week in Washington
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., speaks during a press conference after the House passed the GENIUS Act at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. The act, which passed with a bipartisan vote, outlines the first federal rules for stablecoins, a popular form of digital currency. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
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