Trump on DOJ moves on Epstein files
Washington — The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell, an accomplice of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, to sit for a deposition as fallout over the Trump administration's handling of the case intensifies.
"The facts and circumstances surrounding both your and Mr. Epstein's cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny," Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the chairman of the committee, wrote to Maxwell.
Comer said the committee is seeking Maxwell's testimony "to inform the consideration of potential legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations."
The committee wants the deposition to take place on Aug. 11 at the Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee, where Maxwell is imprisoned.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in helping Epstein recruit, groom and abuse underage girls. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 as he faced sex trafficking charges.
A top Justice Department official is also planning to meet with Maxwell "soon," and the government has asked federal courts overseeing the Epstein and Maxwell cases to release material from federal grand juries. The department said earlier this month that a review of evidence in Epstein case turned up no indication of a "client list" and said no more files would be released, citing victims' privacy. The decision sparked fierce backlash from President Trump's supporters who have called for more transparency into the case for years.
Earlier Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he had concerns about Maxwell providing testimony.
"If they see fit to bring in Ghislaine Maxwell for testimony, that's fine," the Louisiana Republican said. "I will note the obvious concern ... Could she be counted on to tell the truth? Is she a credible witness? I mean, this is a person who's been sentenced to many, many years in prison for terrible, unspeakable, conspiratorial acts and acts against innocent young people."
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
