Ghislaine Maxwell, the jailed associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has agreed to testify under oath before the congressional committee investigating the federal government's handling of the Epstein cases.
Committee chairman James Comer, who is leading the investigation, says Maxwell will speak to the committee virtually on 9 February.
Maxwell's legal team has previously stated she would decline to answer questions under her constitutional right to remain silent unless she is granted legal immunity.
Comer, previewing the deposition, said, her lawyers have been saying she is going to plead the Fifth, referring to the US Fifth Amendment right to decline to speak to authorities.
The announcement from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee comes as the Trump administration continues to come under scrutiny for its handling of the Epstein case.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting and trafficking teenage girls for sexual abuse by Epstein.
In July, the committee declined to offer Maxwell legal immunity in exchange for her testimony.
In August, the committee issued legal summons to Maxwell, requiring her to submit evidence under oath.
Maxwell's legal team stated that requiring her to testify from jail without legal immunity would be a non-starter and posed security risks.
House lawmakers cannot compel Maxwell to waive her Fifth Amendment protections.
On Tuesday, Maxwell's legal team reiterated that she would refuse to testify, calling the proceedings a mere political theater.
The committee is also examining former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton’s refusal to appear. Contempt charges are being contemplated against them.
