Convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions before Congress, while her lawyer said she could clear President Donald Trump of wrongdoing if granted clemency.
Maxwell appeared via video link from a federal prison camp in Texas, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking offences connected to Epstein’s exploitation of underage girls. Lawmakers sought to question her as part of a broader effort to determine how Epstein was able to abuse victims for years and whether institutional failures allowed his activities to continue.
Committee members said Maxwell had signalled in advance that she would not provide substantive testimony. During the session she invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, declining to respond to questions that could be used against her in future legal proceedings. The deposition ended shortly after it began.
Ahead of the hearing, Maxwell’s attorney indicated she would be willing to “speak fully and honestly” if granted clemency, suggesting she could offer information clearing Trump’s name. Several lawmakers rejected the prospect of leniency, saying her refusal to cooperate left investigators without new evidence.
The deposition coincided with the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to allow members of Congress to review large volumes of previously restricted material related to the Epstein investigation. Lawmakers have been granted access to millions of documents under strict conditions, including limits on copying or sharing the files.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein and was sentenced the following year to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said she played a central role in facilitating contact between Epstein and his victims across multiple properties.
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, intensifying scrutiny of his network of associates and the handling of earlier investigations.
Despite Maxwell’s refusal to provide detailed testimony, congressional investigators said their review of documents and past evidence will continue as part of efforts to establish how authorities responded to allegations over several decades. Maxwell has previously maintained her innocence while pursuing appeals of her conviction.
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A tanker reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime security organisation said on Monday, shortly after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would start helping free ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Israel has approved a major defence deal to purchase new squadrons of advanced fighter jets from U.S. manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the country’s defence ministry said on Sunday (3 May).
Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes on Sunday (3 May) across Russia, hitting key infrastructure and causing casualties in several regions, officials on both sides said.
President Trump has issued a warning to the international community, claiming a nuclear-armed Iran would strike Israel "very quickly" before targeting Europe and the United States.
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement released on Saturday (2 May). He warned that Kyiv is ready to respond if necessary amid continued regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing attention to the country’s chronic sleep deprivation.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes on Sunday (3 May) across Russia, hitting key infrastructure and causing casualties in several regions, officials on both sides said.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
Germany has said a planned reduction of U.S. troops should push Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence, as concerns grow in Washington over the impact of the move on regional security.
Malian authorities have launched an investigation into suspected soldiers accused of involvement in coordinated attacks on military bases carried out by militants linked to al Qaeda and separatist Tuareg rebels on 25 April 2026.
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