Latest news with #OversightandGovernmentReformCommittee
CBC
30-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Republican-led committee rejects Epstein associate's request for immunity as condition of testimony
Social Sharing A U.S. Republican-led congressional committee on Tuesday rejected a request by a longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for immunity from future prosecution as a condition for testifying to the panel in the midst of a political storm surrounding President Donald Trump. Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in New York in 2021 of helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls and is serving a 20-year sentence in Florida, has been subpoenaed to testify privately to the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The committee has aimed to conduct a deposition of Maxwell, a British socialite who was the wealthy financier's longtime girlfriend, on Aug. 11 at the prison where she's being held in Tallahassee. "Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity," Maxwell's lawyer David Markus told Rep. James Comer, who chairs the House committee, in a letter. In an emailed statement, a committee spokesperson said: "The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell's attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony." Markus also had laid down additional conditions for a deposition, including conducting it somewhere other than the prison and being provided with the committee's questions in advance. Maxwell, Markus said, would testify to the committee in a public setting if she were to be granted clemency. Maxwell is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. Trump has said he was not considering a presidential pardon for her. WATCH | Trump says no thought given to a Maxwell pardon: Trump says he 'hasn't thought about' pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell 4 days ago Trump says Epstein 'stole' young women from his club Questions over Trump's past relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors, and his administration's handling of records related to the case have dogged the president for weeks, including during a weekend visit to Scotland. Trump knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s, and has said that he cut off ties with Epstein years before his death. He told reporters Tuesday that Epstein "stole" young women who worked at Trump's club, Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre, one of the disgraced financier's most well-known accusers. Aboard Air Force One from Scotland, Trump said he was upset that Epstein was "taking people that worked for me." The women, he said, were "taken out of the spa, hired by him — in other words, gone." "I said, 'Listen, we don't want you taking our people,' " Trump said. When it happened again, Trump said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. Asked if Giuffre was one of the employees poached by Epstein, Trump first said he didn't know, but then said "he stole her." The White House initially said Epstein was banned for acting like a "creep." Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, claimed that Maxwell spotted her working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000, when she was a teenager, and hired her as Epstein's masseuse, which led to sexual abuse. Although Giuffre's allegations did not become part of criminal prosecutions against Epstein, she is central to conspiracy theories about the case. She accused Epstein of pressuring her into having sex with powerful men, including Prince Andrew. Democrats and Trump supporters want documents released Democrats in Congress and some of Trump's core supporters have demanded the release of documents involving Epstein and Maxwell. Epstein served a 13-month jail sentence after pleading guilty in 2008 to a Florida state felony prostitution charge. Democrats on Tuesday sought more information about the matter. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse wrote to the Justice Department, asking for a copy of the transcript of a recent conversation a department official had with Maxwell. In addition, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called on the FBI to conduct a "counterintelligence threat assessment" to determine the risk to U.S. national security if a foreign entity were to gain access to the Epstein files. "Could our adversaries use that information to blackmail someone like the president or other senior leaders in government?" Schumer asked.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dems tee up House Oversight leadership election
House Democrats are teeing up a caucus election on June 24 to fill the party's top job on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, according to two people granted anonymity to speak freely. The contest to serve as the panel's ranking member — and as a prominent foil to President Donald Trump's administration — is shaping up to be a competitive four-way race that could test Democrats' adherence to their seniority system for committee leadership and appetite to elevate younger members. Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, Kweisi Mfume of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California are all expected to run for the position. Lawmakers have until this point generally avoided publicly campaigning for the position out of respect for Connolly, whose funeral was held Tuesday. But quiet maneuvering had already begun. Crockett, seen as a rising star in the caucus and a talented communicator, had blanketed her colleagues with texts making her case for the job. Mfume, who is more senior on the panel, had also privately messaged his colleagues about the position. And Garcia, a member of House Democratic leadership, has quietly met with his colleagues, too. Many House Democrats see the race as wide-open after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York opted to forgo a bid to keep her seat on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. She came up short in last year's contest against Connolly. Candidates for the job this time around will first go before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which will make recommendations to the full caucus. The caucus will then have to vote to ratify the selection.
Politico
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Dems tee up House Oversight leadership election
House Democrats are teeing up a caucus election on June 24 to fill the party's top job on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, according to two people granted anonymity to speak freely. The contest to serve as the panel's ranking member — and as a prominent foil to President Donald Trump's administration — is shaping up to be a competitive four-way race that could test Democrats' adherence to their seniority system for committee leadership and appetite to elevate younger members. Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, Kweisi Mfume of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California are all expected to run for the position. Lawmakers have until this point generally avoided publicly campaigning for the position out of respect for Connolly, whose funeral was held Tuesday. But quiet maneuvering had already begun. Crockett, seen as a rising star in the caucus and a talented communicator, had blanketed her colleagues with texts making her case for the job. Mfume, who is more senior on the panel, had also privately messaged his colleagues about the position. And Garcia, a member of House Democratic leadership, has quietly met with his colleagues, too. Many House Democrats see the race as wide-open after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York opted to forgo a bid to keep her seat on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. She came up short in last year's contest against Connolly. Candidates for the job this time around will first go before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which will make recommendations to the full caucus. The caucus will then have to vote to ratify the selection.
NBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Rep. Gerry Connolly, top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, dies at 75
WASHINGTON — Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee known for his vocal advocacy of federal workers and his frequent clashes with Republicans during televised hearings, died Wednesday morning, his family said. He was 75. His death comes less than a year after he won a competitive race to become the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, one of the key panels that are charged with keeping a check on the executive branch. He announced in April that his esophageal cancer had returned despite receiving 'grueling treatments,' and he would not be running for reelection in 2026. 'Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better. He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many,' his family said in a statement announcing his death. 'But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of 'bloom where you are planted.' From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region.' Before elected office, Connolly worked as a Democratic staffer on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, including for one of its members, then-Sen. Joe Biden. In 1995, Connolly won a seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., and served for 14 years, including the last five as board chairman. When GOP Rep. Tom Davis announced he would not run for reelection in 2008, Connolly jumped into the race to succeed him. Connolly cruised to victory in his primary, and also easily defeated his GOP opponent.
