Ghislaine Maxwell is set to testify before lawmakers in early August, according to a leading Republican, amid growing concerns that the notorious convicted sex trafficker might be in danger while behind bars.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer revealed that a subpoena has been issued for Maxwell to testify on August 11 at the Tallahassee prison where she is currently serving her sentence, the Daily Mail reported. The high-profile hearing was scheduled just a day after Republican Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee called for Maxwell to be subpoenaed, accusing the administration of hiding the complete Epstein records. However, concerns have now grown over Maxwell's safety and security inside the jail.
Maxwell Safety a Concern
Maxwell might be willing to speak, saying she would be "more than happy to sit before Congress and share her story," although her attorney has not officially agreed to anything yet, according to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail.
"If Ms. Maxwell agrees to testify before Congress and not take the 5th—and that remains a big if—she would testify truthfully, as she always has said she would and as she will with Mr. Blanche," Maxwell's lawyer David Markus told the New York Sun. "The truth should not be feared or preemptively dismissed."
The rush to get a testimony from Epstein's former associate comes amid growing concerns from some lawmakers about her safety in prison.
"I requested that she be placed immediately into protective custody and monitored - by guards as well as working surveillance equipment - around the clock, so that our justice system does not again fail the survivors of this Epstein nightmare," Republican Rep. Scott Perry posted on X.
Several of Trump's key allies and other Republican lawmakers — including House Oversight Chairman James Comer, Anna Paulina Luna, Nancy Mace, and Marjorie Taylor Greene — supported the subpoena for Maxwell.
This move opens the door for her deposition to be recorded and possibly even televised, although Comer has not confirmed whether that will happen.
It comes amid the Biden administration's reluctance to release the complete Epstein files, intensifying tensions between Republicans and Trump. Meanwhile, the administration faced further setbacks on Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was notified by his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, that his name appears in the Epstein files.
"As for the Congressional subpoena, Ms. Maxwell is taking this one step at a time,' her lawyer said. 'She looks forward to her meeting with the Department of Justice, and that discussion will help inform how she proceeds."
Cat-and-Mouse Game
Burchett's move has put both Trump and GOP leaders in a difficult position, unable to predict or influence what the jailed Epstein associate might reveal. He initially requested that Oversight Chairman James Comer permit Maxwell to testify in a public, televised session.
The committee approved Burchett's request for Maxwell to give a deposition, giving the 63-year-old—currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking—a possible opportunity to share her side of the story with lawmakers eager for more details about the scandal.
If handled like other recent committee depositions, her testimony might be recorded or even broadcast. In previous cases, the committee has recorded interviews with former aides to Biden as part of an investigation into the president's mental fitness and whether his declining faculties were concealed by his staff.
The effort to get Maxwell's testimony comes as Capitol Hill faces mounting pressure to release documents related to Epstein's crimes and death.
On Thursday, House votes were canceled due to issues surrounding the Epstein case.
The Rules Committee—which decides which bills advance to the House floor—has been at a standstill, as Democrats on the panel have repeatedly pushed to compel Republicans to vote on making the Epstein files public.
The ongoing political maneuvering has frustrated Republican members of the committee, with some even aligning with Democrats in votes to avoid opposing the release of the highly sensitive Epstein documents.
Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, has already put forward a bill that would require the Department of Justice to release the majority of its Epstein-related files. However, GOP leadership has so far blocked the proposal, aware that allowing a vote could anger Trump and create a politically risky situation for Republican lawmakers.
Still, by this fall, Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team may have little power to stop Massie's bill from advancing.
If the Kentucky congressman secures at least 218 co-sponsors—which appears likely, given that nearly all Democrats and some Republicans have expressed support—the bill will be guaranteed a vote on the House floor.
A vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) is anticipated to take place after Congress reconvenes following the summer recess in September.
