Republican-Led US House Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell Immunity Request

Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of assisting Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abusing teenage girls and currently serving a 20-year sentence, has requested immunity from future prosecution as a condition to testify before the Republican-led U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The committee, chaired by Representative James Comer, has rejected the request and plans to depose Maxwell privately at the prison in Tallahassee, Florida. Maxwell's lawyer also sought additional conditions for the deposition, including holding it outside prison and receiving questions in advance, and stated she would testify publicly if granted clemency. Maxwell is appealing her conviction before the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, questions about President Donald Trump's past social relationship with Epstein and his administration's handling of related records continue to provoke political controversy, though Trump has stated he is not considering a pardon for Maxwell. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and the case remains politically sensitive amid ongoing congressional scrutiny.