A House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee voted Tuesday to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, as the Republicans on Capitol Hill push for the publication of more information related to Epstein’s case.
During an unrelated subcommittee hearing, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) moved to direct the panel to authorize and issue a subpoena for Maxwell to appear for a deposition, which passed by voice vote.
“Recently, Rep. Burchett sent a letter to Chairman Comer requesting a subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony. In response, Chairman Comer directed Rep. Burchett to introduce a motion to subpoena Ms. Maxwell for a deposition, allowing the Committee to formally consider whether to proceed,” a spokesperson for the committee said in a statement.
“The Committee will seek to subpoena Ms. Maxwell as expeditiously as possible. Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her.”
The move by Burchett comes amid an outcry from Republicans over the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files — which has left the House in disarray for the second consecutive week.
Its bipartisan passage is also a sign of Democratic pressure on the topic. House Oversight Republicans have quashed prior efforts by Democrats on the panel to subpoena various figures. But the parties banded together Tuesday over a shared interest in Maxwell.
“Oversight Democrats just unanimously voted to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s partner,” House Oversight Democrats wrote on the social platform X after the vote.
“This is progress. We will not stop fighting until the Epstein Files are released. Trump and Bondi must stop blocking the American people from the truth.”
The House Rules Committee met Monday to tee up a series of bills for consideration on the floor, but broke for the night without finishing its work as Democrats threatened to stage another vote on whether the chamber should bring a resolution to the floor that would compel the release of the Epstein documents.
Republicans on the panel saw the vote as a complicated one, caught between wanting to support the publication of the materials with placating President Trump, who has urged GOP lawmakers to drop the matter.
Rules Committee Republicans faced the same vote last week and rejected the amendment, which prompted pushback from their constituents. Later in the week, the panel tried to calm the situation by advancing a nonbinding resolution calling for — but not legally requiring — the release of some Epstein files.
That effort has not completely quelled the calls for more information on both sides of the aisle.
In response to that pressure, Justice Department leadership announced Tuesday that it has begun to coordinate with Maxwell’s attorney about setting up a meeting.
“This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement shared on X.
“President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” he added.
“Therefore, at the direction of Attorney General Bondi, I have communicated with counsel for Ms. Maxwell to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors from the Department. I anticipate meeting with Ms. Maxwell in the coming days.”
An attorney for Maxwell indicated an openness to speaking with administration officials before Burchett pushed for a subpoena.
“I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case,” attorney David Oscar Markus wrote on X.
