Ghislaine Maxwell appealed to Congress on Tuesday to push for a pardon so she can “testify openly and honestly” about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a letter from her attorney.
The overt pitch for clemency came in a letter to the House Oversight Committee which had subpoenaed Maxwell for testimony and records.
In a response to Chairman James Comer, Maxwell’s defense attorney David Markus said she would invoke her Fifth Amendment right and decline to testify unless the committee agreed to grant her immunity and interview her outside prison.
“Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity. Nor is a prison setting conducive to eliciting truthful and complete testimony,” Markus wrote.
This undated trial evidence image obtained December 8, 2021, from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York shows British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein.
US District Court for the Southern District of New York/AFP via Getty Images
Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges in 2021 after prosecutors said that, from 1994 to 2004, she worked together with Epstein to identify girls, groom them, and then transport them to Epstein’s properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and elsewhere, where they were then sexually abused.
Markus on Tuesday also asked the committee to provide questions in advance and postpone the interview until after the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to take up Maxwell’s appeal of her conviction.
“Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C. She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning,” Markus said.
President Donald Trump said Monday no one had approached him about a pardon for Maxwell though he reiterated his power to grant one. House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC on Sunday pardoning Maxwell would be a mistake.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attend de Grisogono Sponsors The 2005 Wall Street Concert Series Benefitting Wall Street Rising, with a Performance by Rod Stewart at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Patrick Mcmullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
The letter comes after Maxwell and her lawyer met last week with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Maxwell answered questions for about nine hours over two days after being granted a limited form of immunity, sources told ABC News.
Blanche has not released any information about their conversation but says he will do so at the proper time.
At the time, Markus told ABC News she did not ask for a pardon and one was not offered. However, Markus said it is no secret Maxwell is seeking “relief” from her 20 year prison sentence.
A House Oversight Committee spokeswoman on Tuesday ruled out the idea of granting Maxwell immunity.
“The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.
