On February 9, 2026, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell appeared virtually before the House Oversight Committee for her deposition in the Epstein probe. She immediately invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer any questions—the deposition ended in less than an hour.
Maxwell's lawyer then made a stunning public offer: Maxwell would cooperate with the investigation and testify that President Trump is “innocent of any wrongdoing” if Trump grants her presidential clemency. This is a brazen quid pro quo offered in plain sight—a convicted child sex trafficker proposing to trade favorable testimony about the President in exchange for her freedom.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer rejected Maxwell's request for immunity. Epstein survivors urged the committee to treat Maxwell “with the utmost skepticism” and ensure the process “does not become another vehicle through which survivors are harmed or silenced.” The offer itself raises profound questions: How can Maxwell guarantee testimony about Trump's innocence before even being asked questions? This isn't testimony—it's a transaction.