Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2021 for helping Jeffrey Epstein abuse underage girls, has been called to testify before the US Congress next month. The house oversight committee has issued a subpoena asking her to sit for a deposition on 11 August at the Tallahassee prison where she is serving a 20-year sentence. The committee said Maxwell’s testimony is crucial to examine how the US government handled sex trafficking cases, especially controversial plea deals and prosecution gaps in the Epstein investigation.“While the Justice Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to your and Mr. Epstein’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of you and Mr. Epstein,” said chairman James Comer in a letter attached to the subpoena. The panel’s task force on the declassification of federal secrets had earlier asked the justice department to release all Epstein-related files. But the DOJ has only shared documents used in Maxwell’s trial so far. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche confirmed that he planned to meet Maxwell “in the coming days”. He added that president Donald Trump had directed the DOJ to release all “credible evidence” in the case. “If Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” he said. Blanche also pointed out that no previous administration had approached Maxwell to ask if she was willing to talk. “That changes now,” he said. Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, said she is moving cautiously. “She’s taking this one step at a time,” he said. “If she chooses to testify before Congress, and not plead the Fifth, she will speak the truth—as she always said she would.” He criticised past prosecutors for avoiding direct talks with Maxwell and welcomed the DOJ’s new approach. “The truth should not be feared or ignored. We’re grateful someone is finally listening,” Markus said. The Epstein scandal continues to split public opinion, especially after The Wall Street Journal reported fresh details about Trump’s past links with Epstein. Trump has since filed a defamation suit against Rupert Murdoch and the newspaper.Meanwhile, a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday refused to unseal grand jury records from earlier Jeffrey Epstein investigations, dismissing a request made by the Trump administration. US district judge Robin Rosenberg ruled that the grand jury material from 2005 and 2007 did not meet any of the exceptions under US law that would allow it to be released to the public.
