Ghislaine Maxwell seeks release on her own
A new court filing says Ghislaine Maxwell plans to represent herself in a habeas petition seeking release from prison.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said on January 21 that Jeffrey Epstein’s convicted co-defendant Ghislaine Maxwell is scheduled to testify in February as Congress continues its investigation into Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking network.
Members of Congress and much of the public have been eager to hear revelations from Maxwell about Epstein and those who may have been involved in his crimes. Epstein was convicted in 2008 of two prostitution crimes in Florida, one of which involved a minor. He died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
But Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, said he doesn’t expect Maxwell to appear anytime soon, even if he hopes to be proven wrong.
“Her lawyers have made it clear that she intends to use the Fifth Amendment defense,” Comer said, referring to the constitutional right of criminal defendants to be protected from self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment. This right allows the defendant to remain silent during interrogation.
“I hope she changes her mind,” Comer added.
Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on charges of sex trafficking of minors against Epstein, will be sentenced to death on February 9, according to a deposition. This is normally a private proceeding, but the House Oversight Committee could release the records after the fact.
Even if Maxwell chooses to answer questions from lawmakers, her past statements suggest she is unlikely to convict anyone. When the Justice Department questioned Maxwell at length in July under an agreement that her statements could not be used against her, she made no explosive statements and maintained her innocence.
After the interview, Maxwell was transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a low-security facility in Texas.
After Comer issued a subpoena for Maxwell’s testimony in July, one of her lawyers said in a letter that she would not testify until after her appeal of her conviction unless President Donald Trump pardoned her. Those proceedings are ongoing. Even after that, she wants immunity from testifying and confirmation of the questions she will be asked in advance, her lawyer said.
