Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime companion to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been subpoenaed to address Congress next month.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced the move one day after members of his panel voted to authorize him to issue a subpoena. A cover letter to Maxwell says Comer seeks a deposition at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida, on August 11. The chairman’s office said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is “cooperating” and would “help facilitate” the interview.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding both your and Mr. Epstein’s cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny,” Comer wrote on Wednesday.

“At the outset of the 119th Congress, on February 11, 2025, the Committee and the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting a briefing regarding documents in the Department’s possession regarding ‘the investigation into and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein,'” Comer added. “On May 8, the Task Force sent another letter to the Department requesting the public release of ‘the entirety of the Epstein files’ and a briefing regarding the release of these files.”

Comer’s team noted in a press release that The Daily Mail had reported on July 13 that Maxwell was open to speaking with Congress about Epstein’s criminal activities. The news outlet cited unnamed sources close to Maxwell.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls.

Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, told CNN in response to the subpoena, “Ms. Maxwell is taking this one step at a time. She looks forward to her meeting with the Department of Justice, and that discussion will help inform how she proceeds.” He also claimed that concerns about Maxwell’s credibility are “unfounded” while stressing that his client would speak “truthfully” and not plead the Fifth if a deposition with Congress were to occur.

The vote to subpoena Maxwell happened shortly after the DOJ revealed that it anticipated a meeting with Maxwell in the “coming days.” That followed Attorney General Pam Bondi filing a formal request last week for judges to unseal grand jury testimony from the cases against Epstein and Maxwell at the behest of President Donald Trump, who has argued that people are falling for a “hoax” perpetuated by Democrats.

On Wednesday, just before Comer’s announcement, a federal judge denied the Trump administration’s request to unseal grand jury materials from investigations conducted in the 2000s regarding Epstein. CBS News reported that judges who oversaw other cases in New York were still undecided as of the time of publication.

A growing number of lawmakers have been pushing for the disclosure of more information on Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who was found dead at the age of 66 in his New York City jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges involving young girls. Democrats have accused GOP leadership of balking on pressing the Trump administration harder for disclosure, while Republicans have raised questions about why their colleagues across the aisle did not seem interested in the issue when they had power.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told this week on Monday that Congress needs to give the Trump administration “space,” but would consider action if it became necessary. He also said House Republicans want “maximum transparency.”

A potential vote on demanding the Trump administration release secret documents it has on Epstein, the focus of a discharge petition from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) that would force leadership’s hand, likely will not happen until after the August recess. More immediately, as of publication of this article, it appeared that a House Oversight subcommittee was on its way to passing a motion to subpoena Epstein files.

“While the Justice Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to your and Mr. Epstein’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of you and Mr. Epstein,” Comer wrote.

He continued, “In particular, the Committee seeks your testimony to inform the consideration of potential legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations.”

The man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students was sentenced to four consecutive fixed life sentences without opportunity for parole.

Bryan Kohberger was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for the count of burglary, as well as a $50,000 fine and $5,000 civil penalty per count.

Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. As part of the guilty plea, he waived his right to appeal but escaped the death penalty.

“No parent should have to bury their child,” Judge Steven Hippler said before the sentencing. “This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted on a person.”

Hippler said he was unable to find anything redeeming in Kohberger.

“His actions have made him the worst of the worst,” Hippler said. “In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame.”

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador commended the sentence.

“Our hearts are with the victims and their families. While no sentence can bring full justice to this kind of evil, today’s sentence ensures that Bryan Kohberger will never see the outside of a prison and will never again harm innocent families,” Labrador said in a statement. “Under Idaho law, the fixed prison sentences mean Kohberger will never be eligible for parole. I’m especially grateful to Prosecutor Bill Thompson and my Criminal Division Chief, Jeff Nye, whose leadership, judgment, and tireless efforts brought this case to a just conclusion. Their teams served the State of Idaho with distinction, and our families and the public are safer because of their hard work.”

Before the sentencing, family members of the victims made statements before the court.

Kristi Goncalves, mother of Kaylee Goncalves, said Kohberger “will finally get what [he] wanted” in prison.

“A dead killer doesn’t kill again, so while I’m disappointed the firing squad won’t get to take their shots at you, I’m confident that the men in prison will have their way with you in more ways than one,” Kristi Goncalves said. “You will finally get what you wanted, physical touch, just probably not how you were expecting it.”

“Hell will be waiting,” Kristi Goncalves concluded.

Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, told Kohberger, “From this moment, we will forget you.”

“Today we are here to finish what you started. Today you’ve lost control,” Steve Goncalves added. “Your actions have united everyone in their disgust for you.”

Randy Davis, the stepfather of Xana Kernodle, told the victims’ families, “I love you all and I feel your pain.”

He then told Kohberger to “go to hell,” and everyone applauded.

Kim Kernodle, the aunt of Xana Kernodle, told Kohberger she forgave him.

“This is probably gonna bother everybody, but Bryan, I’m here today to tell you I’ve forgiven you, because I could no longer live with that hate in my heart,” Kim Kernodle said. “And for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you.”

One of the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, made her first public statement since the murders.

“Living is how I honor them,” Mortensen said. “Speaking today is to help me find some sort of justice for them and I will never let him take that from me. He may have taken so much from me, but he will never get to take my voice.”

“I get to feel sadness, I get to feel rage, I get to feel joy even when it’s hard, I get to feel love even when it hurts, I get to live, and while I will still live with this pain, at least I get to live my life. He will stay here, empty, forgotten and powerless,” she concluded.

After the impact statements, Prosecutor Bill Thompson showed photos of the four victims while family members cried in the background.

“We can’t undo and we can never undo the horror that occurred,” Thompson said. “From today forward, our memories should be focused on these innocent victims whose lives were taken on their families, on their friends, on the community.”

Kohberger declined to make a statement.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the sentencing during a press conference Wednesday.

“Our nation grieves with you, and we will never forget the precious souls who were lost in this horrific act of evil,” Leavitt said. “May God bless and watch over everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy, especially the parents who lost their children.”