Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., sharply criticized convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell on Monday, over Maxwell's expected refusal to answer questions on Jeffrey Epstein.
Mace told Newsmax that Maxwell is scheduled to sit for a congressional deposition this week, before the House Oversight Committee, but lawmakers have been told she plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Mace said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that the deposition could be brief and unproductive.
"The deposition will be for probably less than one-half hour, because the Oversight Committee has been told she will plead the Fifth and not provide any information because she's not getting a pardon," Mace said.
"She's not getting out of jail. So she's unwilling to assist in the investigation, which is sad for the victims, sad for America," she added. "It really just goes to show how evil this woman is, that she's unwilling to assist in getting really, you know, true predators thrown in jail.
"It's disgusting."
Mace, who is a candidate for governor, said she plans to visit the Department of Justice this week with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to review unredacted Epstein files.
She said the goal is to identify individuals whose names have been concealed in publicly released records.
"I want to see some of the individuals that Jeffrey Epstein was communicating with," Mace said.
"There are some emails that are referencing underage girls and maybe potentially parties in that sort of thing, where the names have been redacted. Are those victims? Are those potential predators, that sort of thing," she added.
Mace said she is also seeking emails between Epstein and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and reiterated her push to compel testimony if necessary.
"As you all know, last week I pressured the Oversight Committee to say that we will bring him in and he's going to be invited to testify," Mace said.
"And if that doesn't happen, I'm going to push for subpoena as well," she continued. "But I want those list of names.
"I want to see the individuals we think are potential predators. And then I want to figure out who covered it up."
Mace acknowledged concerns that unredacted files could be used for political attacks, including against President Donald Trump.
"They absolutely will," she said. "And anything after 2019 is just pure craziness."
She described being personally named in an anonymous tip to federal authorities, calling it an example of how information can be weaponized.
"I'm in an email somewhere that someone randomly, anonymously emailed them to the FBI about me and [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis about something that happened in 2008," Mace said.
Despite political risks, Mace said her efforts are driven by principle rather than strategy.
"I make decisions not because of any certain strategic political calculus, to the detriment of my political and professional and personal life," she said. "I'm not beholden to anyone in the establishment. In either party."
Mace framed the Epstein investigation as part of a broader fight against what she called unequal justice.
"The rich, the famous, the powerful," she said. "You have money or you're in Hollywood. Everyone else is above the law, but the laws for the average American."
She added, "I believe that it is worth it because the middle class feels that they aren't being heard, that they are being left behind because they aren't rich and powerful or rich and famous."
Mace said her focus remains on accountability and protecting victims.
"I'm going to do what is morally, I believe, morally clear, morally correct to protect my constituents, to protect children especially," she said.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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