Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has agreed to appear before the congressional committee investigating the federal government's handling of the notorious Epstein case to provide testimony under oath, Fox News has learned.
Maxwell is scheduled to sit for a virtual deposition by the committee on Feb. 9, according to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who is leading the investigation.
"Her lawyers have made it clear that she's going to plead the Fifth," Comer said. "I hope she changes her mind, because I want to hear from her."
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In a letter from Maxwell's legal team submitted to the committee on Tuesday, her lawyers insisted she would refuse to comply with the testimony, according to the BBC.
"Put plainly, proceeding under these circumstances would serve no other purpose than pure political theater and a complete waste of taxpayer monies," the attorneys wrote. "The Committee would obtain no testimony, no answers, and no new facts."
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The move comes on the same day a federal judge ruled that he lacks jurisdiction to appoint an outside expert to ensure the Justice Department complies with a legal mandate requiring it to release all files pertaining to the prosecution of Epstein to the public.
The seven-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer effectively put a stop to efforts by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., looking to participate in Maxwell's case.
"The only parties to the case are Maxwell and the United States, the latter represented, as is always the case, by DOJ," the judge wrote. "The Indictment against Maxwell brought charges under six federal criminal statutes. Those were not brought under the EFTA, which did not exist at the time and is not a criminal statute. And this case is now effectively closed."
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The pair had asked the court to appoint them as amici curio, or "friends of the court" to serve as a special master to oversee the release of the files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA).
"We appreciate the judge’s thoughtful consideration of our letter, and we remain determined to force the DOJ to follow our law using other avenues available to us and the survivors," Massie said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is currently serving 20 years behind bars in federal prison for her involvement in the trafficking and recruitment of underage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein, primarily at his Florida residence.
In July 2025, Maxwell's request to exchange her testimony for legal immunity was denied by the committee.
One month later, the committee filed a legal summons requiring Maxwell to submit evidence under oath.
The House committee is also set to discuss if former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, should be held in contempt of court over their refusal to appear before officials regarding the investigation into Epstein.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
