Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction for involvement in Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of teenage girls, is set to refuse to answer questions at a congressional hearing on Monday, as reported by Reuters. She intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, an action that has raised eyebrows about her consistency in previous engagements with law enforcement. Rather than addressing individual queries, Maxwell plans to read a prepared statement at the beginning of the hearing.

Congressman Ro Khanna, a member of the oversight and governmental reform committee, has highlighted the apparent inconsistency in Maxwell's stance. Previously, she did not invoke her Fifth Amendment rights when meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss similar issues, leading Khanna to express concerns in a letter to Committee Chairman James Comer about her current approach. This inconsistency raises questions not only about Maxwell’s strategy but also about the implications it holds for ongoing investigations into the broader scandal involving Epstein.

The hearing coincides with ongoing scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department regarding Epstein's network and the inquiry into those who may have been complicit in his crimes. Maxwell’s decision to withhold answers could impact future legal proceedings and might suggest that she has knowledge pertinent to the ongoing investigations. Her unwillingness to cooperate could also affect public perception and might signal a protective maneuver amidst heightened media and legislative attention on historical abuses linked to Epstein.