Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and confidant of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, declined on Monday to answer questions from a US congressional committee investigating Epstein's years-long sexual abuse of underage girls.

Epstein was well connected to high-profile figures from around the world, and the extent of the sexual abuse has sent lawmakers searching for anyone who was connected to Epstein and could have facilitated his crimes.

Lawmakers also planned on Monday to peruse unredacted versions of the Epstein files that the Department of Justice has released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year. Epstein was arrested in 2019 and committed suicide in a New York prison cell.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking at a Texas prison camp. She was convicted in 2021 for her role over the course of a decade in helping Epstein to "recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims" known to be under the age of 18, according to the US Justice Department.

As had been expected ahead of her deposition on Monday, Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right in response to every question to avoid answering questions that would be self-incriminating.

Maxwell's lawyers said they told the House panel that she was prepared to testify in exchange for clemency from President Donald Trump, as she seeks to overturn her conviction on sex trafficking.

What did lawmakers say?

James Comer, the Republican chair of the committee, said Monday it was "very disappointing" that Maxwell declined to answer questions.

Maxwell was subpoenaed by Comer last year, but her attorneys have consistently said she will not answer questions

"It's very clear she's campaigning for clemency," said New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury.

Democratic committee member Suhas Subramanyam said Maxwell has been "campaigning over and over again to get that pardon from President Trump, and this president has not ruled it out," he said. "That is why she is continuing to not cooperate with our investigation."

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

Comer said Monday that he would insist on holding closed-door depositions and later releasing transcripts and video.

Questions about his long friendship with Epstein have dogged President Donald Trump since his return to the White House in January.

Trump has denied any involvement in or knowledge of the sex-trafficking activities.

Comer has indicated that the Oversight Committee will not attempt to compel testimony from Trump about Epstein, saying that the Committee cannot force a sitting president to testify.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery