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Ghislaine Maxwell seeks clemency for testimony
Ghislaine Maxwell declined to reply questions from the House Oversight Committee connected Monday, but her lawyer said she would beryllium prepared to attest that President Donald Trump and erstwhile President Bill Clinton “are guiltless of immoderate wrongdoing” if she were granted clemency.Maxwell, 64, is serving a 20-year condemnation astatine a national situation campy successful Texas aft being convicted successful 2021 of enactment trafficking for recruiting and grooming underage girls for the precocious financier Jeffrey Epstein. She was subpoenaed to springiness grounds by video deposition arsenic lawmakers intensify scrutiny implicit Epstein’s web and the caller merchandise of millions of Justice Department documents.
Instead of responding to questions, Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment close against self-incrimination.
In a connection shared connected X, her lawyer David Oscar Markus wrote: “Ghislaine Maxwell invoked her Constitutional close to soundlessness this greeting earlier @RepJamesComer and the House Oversight Committee.” He told the committee: “On my advice, Ghislaine Maxwell volition respectfully invoke her Fifth Amendment close to soundlessness and diminution to reply questions contiguous adjacent though she would precise overmuch similar to reply your questions.
”Markus said Maxwell indispensable stay soundless due to the fact that she has a habeas petition pending, arguing that her condemnation “rests connected a fundamentally unfair trial”. He claimed jurors “lied during voir dire to unafraid seats connected the jury” and that “the authorities promised immunity and past broke that promise”, adding that recently disclosed documents beryllium this.He added: “If this Committee and the American nationalist genuinely privation to perceive the unfiltered information astir what happened, determination is simply a straightforward path.
Ms. Maxwell is prepared to talk afloat and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.” He continued: “For example, some President Trump and President Clinton are guiltless of immoderate wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell unsocial tin explicate why, and the nationalist is entitled to that explanation.
”Committee president James Comer said Maxwell’s refusal was “obviously precise disappointing”, adding that lawmakers had questions astir “the crimes she and Epstein committed arsenic good arsenic questions astir imaginable co-conspirators”.Democrats criticised the clemency appeal. Representative Melanie Stansbury said, “It’s precise wide she’s campaigning for clemency,” portion Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna wrote: “NO CLEMENCY. You comply oregon look punishment.”Maxwell is the lone idiosyncratic convicted successful transportation with Epstein, who died successful a New York jailhouse compartment successful 2019 portion awaiting trial.
