© EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES Lawyer Ghislaine Maxwell mentioned she could “exonerate Trump’s name” from any accusations linked to Epstein should the US president grant her a pardon.
Ghislaine Maxwell, an affiliate of found guilty sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, declined to address queries from legislators while testifying before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday, February 9, sparking disapproval from both Republicans and Democrats on the committee, Reuters stated.
Maxwell, who was convicted back in 2021 for supporting and encouraging Epstein in the sex abuse of minors and is presently fulfilling a 20-year prison term, utilized her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to respond to questions, lawmakers indicated.
The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution grants any individual the right to remain silent against incriminating themselves or to give answers that might result in self-incrimination, especially when providing testimony under oath.
Maxwell conveyed a definitive message to US President Donald Trump: if the president pardons her, she will “clear his name” from discussions of implication in any misdeeds tied to Epstein.
This proposition, expressed by lawyer Maxwell, points out that the Epstein narrative will remain a politically charged issue.
“If this committee and the American people are genuinely seeking to learn the unvarnished truth about what transpired, a clear pathway exists. Maxwell stands ready to speak extensively and truthfully if President Trump bestows clemency upon her,” Maxwell’s legal representative, David Marcus, expressed.
“She alone possesses the complete information. Some individuals may disapprove of what they hear, yet the truth holds importance. To illustrate, neither President Trump nor President Clinton are culpable of any wrongdoing. Only Maxwell can elucidate the reason, and the public possesses a right to receive that clarification,” the lawyer appended.
Five additional hearings are scheduled as part of the Epstein inquiry, including testimony from former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on February 26 and former President Bill Clinton on February 27. Trump and Clinton, who are mentioned in documents linked to Epstein published by the US Department of Justice, refute any wrongdoing.
Marcus announced via social platform X that Trump and Bill Clinton are free from any misconduct and Maxwell, as per the lawyer, is able to clarify the rationale.
“This is demonstrably quite disappointing. We possessed numerous questions pertaining to the offenses she and Epstein perpetrated, along with possible accomplices,” the committee’s chairperson, Republican Congressman James Comer, informed journalists, commenting on Maxwell’s choice to abstain from answering questions.
Democrats censured Maxwell for attempting to procure a pardon from Trump and urged the Republican leader to eliminate the possibility of such an action.
“We have not been given any meaningful replies to queries that would aid our investigation. We have been presented with yet another instance in her ongoing endeavor to gain a pardon from President Trump. And President Trump has the power to bring this to a close today — he could deny Ghislaine Maxwell a pardon,” stated Democratic Congressman James Walkinshaw.
Trump did not dismiss the chance of granting Maxwell a pardon or alleviation of sentence.
The chapters of the Epstein affair are appearing at an extremely inopportune moment for Trump. Anna Brodsky-Krotkina, in her essay “ When the US President Gets Scared: Trump and the Shadow of Epstein,” explained how long-ago controversies are resurfacing and why the past might impact the election proceedings more severely than any opponent.