The U.S. House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, to testify under oath at a deposition scheduled for August 11 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida.
House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, confirmed the subpoena on Tuesday and told CNN that the committee has not yet decided whether to launch a full investigation into the Epstein case. “We’ll see what she has to say,” Comer said, adding that Republicans still want more information made public by the Justice Department.
The Department of Justice is also expected to meet with Maxwell on Thursday, according to CNN sources, as officials face growing criticism over the handling of Epstein-related documents. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will lead the meeting.
Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, said the meeting with the Justice Department will guide her response to the congressional subpoena. “Ms. Maxwell is taking this one step at a time,” Markus stated. “That discussion will help inform how she proceeds.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed support for the subpoena but raised doubts about Maxwell’s reliability as a witness. “Can we trust what she’s going to say?” he asked, highlighting the challenge of determining whether her testimony would be credible.
In response, Markus defended his client’s willingness to cooperate. He said Maxwell would testify truthfully if she chooses not to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. “The truth should not be feared or preemptively dismissed,” Markus said, praising the Justice Department for its willingness to speak with Maxwell.
The committee said in a statement that the Justice Department is cooperating and will help arrange the prison deposition.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping Epstein abuse underage girls.
