Ghislaine Maxwell summoned before Congress for grilling over Epstein

by · Mail Online

Ghislaine Maxwell will sit for a congressional deposition on February 9, Republican House Oversight Chairman James Comer announced Wednesday.

It marks the latest development in the saga over deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's files, with Epstein's longtime romantic partner and accomplice agreeing to comply with a congressional subpoena.

'February 9, we're deposing Miss Maxwell,' Comer said during a Capitol Hill committee meeting.

But don't expect the disgraced Epstein friend to say much - or anything at all - if she shows up. 

Wednesday's hearing focused on resolutions to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas about their relationship with Epstein.

Republicans insisted the Clintons must testify, while Democrats called the focus politically motivated.

But Comer said he wanted information from any relevant source.

'I agree that we need to hear from Ghislaine Maxwell,' Comer said. He admitted his staff has '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, February 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee.'

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
With photographs of former U.S. President Bill Clinton behind him, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (top right) (R-KY) speaks during a hearing at the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. The full committee was expected to vote on a markup of a resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the committee related to the ongoing investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files

However, Maxwell's lawyers have 'made it clear that she's going to plead the fifth.'

'I hope she changes her mind, because I want to hear from her,' Comer added.

Democrat Ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Robert Garcia, claimed a victory for Comer, summoning Maxwell to testify, noting in a statement posted on X that the action was a result of his party's pressure campaign.

Garcia also noted that 'the coverup in continuing' as Maxwell has 'gotten special treatment from the DOJ for months.'

Democrats also tried to include the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Pam Bondi in the contempt of Congress charges, as all of the Epstein Files have still not been released despite the Epstein Files Transparency Act being passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in November of 2025.

Ohio Democratic Representative Shontel Brown said during Wednesday's hearing that 99 percent of the Epstein Files are still with the Department. 

Comer himself said Wednesday that even he would like to see the files be released at a faster pace.

'Attorney General Bondi, the Department of Justice, are producing documents, while the pace is slower than any of us would prefer, and must speed up,' Comer noted.