Ghislaine Maxwell will speak ‘fully’ on Epstein and clear Trump’s name – on 1 condition | World | News

Ghislaine Maxwell is prepared to speak “fully and honestly” on Jeffrey Epstein to clear Donald Trump’s name, but only in return for clemency from the US president, her lawyer has said. Trump has never been charged with any offence connected to Epstein and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The comments came after convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions during a US House Oversight Committee hearing into her relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said she would instead provide a full account if granted presidential clemency, and claimed her testimony would show former US president Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were “innocent of any wrong doing.” Democratic representative Melanie Stansbury, who attended the hearing, said it was “very clear” Maxwell was seeking clemency and suggested her silence was intended to send a message to the US president.

She told reporters the refusal to testify indicated Maxwell hoped her cooperation could be exchanged for clemency.

Ms Stansbury said: “It is very clear that she used this opportunity to not only campaign for clemency, but also to send a direct message that her silence can be bought through clemency.”

Court records do not accuse Mr Trump of participating in Epstein’s abuse, and he has previously said he fell out with Epstein years before the financier’s arrest.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in New York in 2021 of helping Epstein recruit and abuse underage girls.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 but died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial. His death was ruled a suicide.

Under US law, a president has the power to grant a pardon or commute a federal sentence, though such decisions are discretionary.

In a statement following the hearing, her lawyer David Oscar Markus said she was willing to cooperate with investigators if this one condition was met. 

Markus added: “Only she can provide the complete account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. 

“For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation.”

The House Oversight Committee has been examining how Jeffrey Epstein was able to abuse underage girls for years and whether others facilitated his activities.

Lawmakers had sought further details about Epstein’s associates and the operation of his trafficking network.

The hearing was conducted behind closed doors and Maxwell appeared via videolink from a federal prison.