Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads the Fifth, Ends House Oversight Epstein Deposition Early [WATCH]

The House Oversight Committee’s long-anticipated deposition of Ghislaine Maxwell ended abruptly Monday morning after the convicted accomplice of the late Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, as reported by Fox News.

Maxwell appeared virtually for the closed-door interview as part of the committee’s bipartisan investigation into the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case.

The deposition concluded in less than an hour once it became clear she would not answer substantive questions from committee attorneys.

JUST IN: Ghislaine Maxwell Ducks House Oversight Committee’s Questions, Pleads the Fifth Amendment https://t.co/Uw9GPLMtnV

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 9, 2026

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Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence at a Texas facility following her December 2021 conviction for her role in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.

At the time of her sentencing, the Department of Justice said Maxwell “enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways.”

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., both said ahead of Monday’s appearance that they expected Maxwell to plead the Fifth Amendment. That expectation proved accurate.

BREAKING: Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth in House Oversight Epstein investigation

Chairman James Comer “As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions…”

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— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 9, 2026

Maxwell’s deposition was formally scheduled for Feb. 9, following months of negotiations between Comer’s staff and Maxwell’s legal team.

Comer previously confirmed the date during a committee meeting late last month, when lawmakers were also considering contempt proceedings against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for initially refusing to cooperate with the committee’s Epstein investigation.

“We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee,” Comer said at the time.

Those contempt proceedings against the Clintons stalled after their attorneys agreed that both would appear in person on Capitol Hill.

The agreement came just days before the full House of Representatives was expected to vote on whether to refer the pair to the Department of Justice for potential criminal contempt charges.

Comer’s office had previously agreed to delay Maxwell’s deposition, which was initially planned for August, at the request of her attorney.

The delay was granted while Maxwell awaited a decision from the Supreme Court of the United States on whether it would take up her appeal.

The high court declined to hear her case in October, clearing the way for the Oversight Committee to resume efforts to question her.

The committee’s investigation has focused on how federal authorities handled Epstein’s prosecution, plea deal, incarceration, and death, as well as whether influential individuals received preferential treatment or protection.

Maxwell’s testimony was viewed by lawmakers as a potentially significant piece of that review, even as they acknowledged legal limitations due to her ongoing sentence.

With Maxwell declining to answer questions, committee officials said they would continue reviewing documents and pursuing testimony from other witnesses connected to Epstein’s network and the government’s response to his crimes.

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