Rep. Nancy Mace from South Carolina has indicated that Ghislaine Maxwell is likely to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights during her deposition hearing before the House Oversight Committee scheduled for next week. Mace shared this information on social media platform X, stating, “We’re hearing Ghislaine Maxwell is planning to plead the 5th at her deposition on Monday.” She criticized Maxwell’s potential plea, suggesting that it reflects a desire for self-preservation rather than concern for self-incrimination.
If Maxwell does plead the Fifth, she would be opting not to answer questions in order to avoid any self-incrimination. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, communicated to James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, in late January that Maxwell would invoke her privilege against self-incrimination during the deposition.
Maxwell, an associate of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted in December 2021 for sex trafficking minors and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. In a controversial move, she was transferred from a prison in Florida to a facility in Texas in August 2025, a transition that reportedly occurred without prior notification to her victims.
Recently, millions of documents were released by the Department of Justice concerning Epstein and his connections to other prominent individuals. Mace emphasized the public’s right to know the identities of those involved, stating, “The American people deserve to know their names. They deserve to be investigated. And they should rot in jail.”
Concerns have been raised by lawyers representing some of Epstein’s alleged victims regarding the release of names in the Epstein files. They argued that the Department of Justice’s actions have compromised the privacy of the victims, citing a significant breach of privacy on January 30, 2026, when unredacted material was made public.
Upcoming Testimonies from Notable Figures
Following Maxwell’s deposition, two notable figures, former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, are scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee later in February. Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition is set for February 26, 2026, while Bill Clinton will be the first former president to testify before Congress, scheduled for February 27, 2026.
Hillary Clinton has urged Chairman Comer to conduct the hearings publicly, stating, “You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.”
The developments surrounding Maxwell’s deposition and the subsequent testimonies of high-profile individuals have drawn significant public interest, reflecting the ongoing scrutiny of the complex web of connections linked to Epstein and his associates. As the hearings approach, many are keenly watching how this situation unfolds and what revelations may surface.
