Ghislaine Maxwell declined to answer questions from a House committee, citing 5th Amendment rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers tried Monday to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, but the former girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her 5th Amendment rights to avoid answering questions that would be incriminating.

Maxwell was to be questioned during a video call to the federal prison camp in Texas where she’s serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She’s come under new scrutiny as lawmakers try to investigate how Epstein, a well-connected financier, was able to sexually abuse underage girls for years.

Maxwell has been seeking to have her conviction overturned, arguing that she was wrongfully convicted.

Ghislaine’s deposition comes as lawmakers are searching for anyone who was connected to Epstein and may have facilitated his abuse. Several Democrats also planned on Monday to look through unredacted versions of the files on Epstein that the Department of Justice released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year.

The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed her last year, and while her attorneys have consistently told lawmakers that she won’t answer questions, the Republican chairman, Rep. James Comey insisted on conducting the deposition.

Comer came under pressure to hold the deposition as he pressed for the committee to enforce subpoenas on former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Comer threatened them with contempt of Congress charges, they both agreed to sit for depositions later this month.

Stephen Groves, The Associated Press