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Ghislaine Maxwell to appear before House Oversight Committee lawmakers for Epstein probe deposition
Ask who never gets charged.

Lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are expected to be face-to-face with Ghislaine Maxwell Monday, the notorious accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring with the late billionaire pedophile.
Maxwell is due to appear virtually before the congressional panel at 10 a.m. ET while currently serving out her sentence at a Texas prison. Her deposition will be behind closed doors, meaning it will not be viewed publicly unless the committee chooses to release video footage after the fact.
It's likely to be a brief engagement, with Maxwell expected to plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions.
DEMOCRATS SAY CLINTONS' AGREEMENT TO TESTIFY UNDERCUTS SUBPOENA PUSH, WON'T BRING NEW EPSTEIN ANSWERS
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced lawmakers would hear from Maxwell during a meeting on holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for his Epstein probe.
"We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee," Comer said last month.
Contempt proceedings against the Clintons stalled, however, after they agreed via their attorneys to appear in person on Capitol Hill just days before the full House of Representatives was expected to vote on referring the pair to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.
Comer's team had been in a back-and-forth with Maxwell's attorney for months trying to nail down a date for her to speak to committee lawyers.
He agreed to delay her previous planned deposition in August after her lawyer asked him to wait until after the Supreme Court decided whether it would hear her appeal. The Supreme Court turned down Maxwell's case in October.
NEW GHISLAINE MAXWELL MUGSHOT INCLUDED IN DOJ'S LATEST EPSTEIN FILES RELEASE
The former British socialite was found guilty in December 2021 of being an accomplice in Epstein's scheme to sexually traffic and exploit female minors.
The DOJ said at the time of her sentencing that Maxwell "enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways."
Epstein had been awaiting trial when he killed himself in a New York City jail in 2019.
Her deposition is part of the House Oversight Committee's months-long probe into how the government handled Epstein's case. 

Ghislaine Maxwell expected to invoke Fifth Amendment in congressional deposition
Same show, different day.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted sex offender and deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, is expected to invoke her Fifth Amendment privileges in Monday’s congressional deposition before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

David Markus, Maxwell’s attorney, revealed his client’s forthcoming decision on NewsNation. The Fifth Amendment grants Maxwell protection against self-incrimination. In addition to being his romantic partner, Maxwell was an integral part of Epstein’s trafficking operations. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. 

In January, House oversight committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) revealed that Maxwell would be deposed before the committee as part of the broader investigation into the Epstein files. 

“I agree we need to hear from Ghislaine Maxwell,” Comer said at the time. “We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition. Her lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by the committee.”

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) have been two of the most vocal members of Congress calling for the full release of the Epstein files. They introduced the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act in 2025, which was later signed into law by President Donald Trump. Khanna sent a letter to Comer on Sunday asking about Maxwell’s intention to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights, calling the move “inconsistent with her prior conduct.”

“It is my understanding that Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer all substantive questions at her upcoming deposition before the House Oversight Committee,” Khanna wrote in his letter.

“This position appears inconsistent with Ms. Maxwell’s prior conduct, as she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss substantially similar subject matter,” he said. 

EPSTEIN FILES IMPLODE BRITISH POLITICS WITH ‘BIGGEST SCANDAL’ IN ‘OVER ONE CENTURY’

Khanna then provided Comer a list of questions he intended to ask Maxwell, despite her invoking the Fifth Amendment. Among the questions Khanna plans to ask is whether she ever provided underage girls to Trump.

“It is well documented that you, President Donald Trump, and Mr. Epstein had a social relationship, and there are …

Bogus businesses and ‘lax’ oversight: How hospice fraud has flourished in California
This deserves loud pushback.

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.

California has emerged as an epicenter of healthcare fraud, specifically multimillion-dollar hospice scams operating out of Los Angeles, a scandal of such magnitude allegedly on par with the Somali-run schemes that bilked public assistance programs in Minnesota by the billions.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, chief of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, recently accused foreign gangsters from Russia and Armenia of setting up bogus hospice businesses in California, cutting in corrupt doctors, and treating tricked or compromised patients as part of an “organized crime mafia deal.”

Oz posted a video on Jan. 26 suggesting that Russian-Armenian gangs may be behind the hospice fraud that has cropped up primarily in Los Angeles.

“A lot of it’s driven by foreigners who came to Los Angeles — very different culture, Russian-Armenian groups — and this mafia seems to have taken over the system,” Oz said in the footage.

In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) filed a civil rights complaint claiming that Oz made “baseless and racist allegations” against Armenian Americans in California, reflecting “discriminatory animus” directed toward them.

NEWSOM HITS DR. OZ WITH CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT OVER ARMENIAN HOSPICE FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

As proof of foreign influence, Oz referred to a California criminal case involving a yearslong Medicare money-laundering scheme that stole $16 million in hospice proceeds.

Fraudsters convicted in June 2025 for their involvement were identified by federal authorities as belonging to a ring of “foreign nationals” operating multiple fake hospice companies and submitting false claims for services that were either never provided or medically unnecessary.

According to a Center Square analysis of California Social Services data, Armenians in Los Angeles County appeared to use the state’s in-home care program at roughly 700% of their population share, equaling 14.7% of recipients versus 2.1% of the population.

California fraught with hospice fraud for years

“We have witnessed a sevenfold increase in hospice in L.A. County. Sevenfold. That doesn’t happen naturally,” Oz said, adding, “There are not seven times more deaths in L.A. County than there were five years ago.” …

US forces hunt down and board tanker ship defying Trump admin quarantine
Every delay has consequences.

The War Department announced on Monday morning that the U.S. military boarded a vessel overnight "without incident."
The department's post on X noted that the U.S. had "hunted" the ship "from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean."
"When the @DeptofWar says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world. Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility," the post explained.
"The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed. The Department of War tracked and hunted this vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. No other nation on planet Earth has the capability to enforce its will through any domain. By land, air, or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice. You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us," the post continued.
"The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies the ability to defy American power in the global maritime domain."
This is a breaking story. Check back here for updates.

Hochul running mate voted to allow noncitizen voting in NYC elections

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's running mate, former New York City Council member Adrienne Adams, voted in favor of allowing some noncitizens to vote in Big Apple municipal elections.
Adams voted for the measure passed by the city council in late 2021 that would have allowed lawful permanent residents and individuals authorized to work in the country to vote in the city's municipal contests.
The measure was ultimately struck down by the Empire State's highest court, according to the New York Post.
POLL FINDS CLEAR FAVORITE IN NEW YORK GOVERNOR'S RACE
The outlet reported that GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis asserted, "Anyone trying to dilute the voices of American citizens and pushing for noncitizens to vote in our elections has no business statewide or any elected office."
Hochul announced Adams as her running mate last week.
"I picked a New Yorker from Southeast Queens. Someone who grew up in a union household, just like I did. A fighter who knows how to deliver for New York," the governor said in a post on X.
HOCHUL PRIMARY CHALLENGER PICKS DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST, ONCE ARRESTED FOR HARASSMENT, AS RUNNING MATE
Hochul, who previously served as lieutenant governor, became governor in 2021 after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned.
She won the 2022 gubernatorial election and is running for re-election this year.
SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI BACKS HOCHUL IN MOVE THAT COULD RESHAPE NEW YORK GOVERNOR RACE
Her new running mate ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic New York City mayoral primary last year.

Joe Egerton: Is the Mandelson affair really comparable to the Profumo affair?
This deserves loud pushback.

Joe Egerton is a former Parliamentary candidate for Leigh who once worked for the Macmillan family.

The commentariat is drawing a comparison between the Profumo affair of 1963 and the Mandelson affair. It is important to start by recognising that the Profumo affair, although very damaging, did not bring about the fall of Macmillan. As it is often suggested that it did, the brief facts are as follows.

On 8th July 1961, Profumo, Secretary of State for War, was introduced to Christine Keeler “a very pretty girl and sweet” who had been swimming naked in the pool at Cliveden and was trying to cover herself with a skimpy towel. The next day there was “a light-hearted and frolicsome bathing party, where everyone was in bathing costumes and nothing indecent took place at all”. One of the party was Yevgeny Ivanov, nominally a naval attaché at the Soviet Embassy but actually GRU.Profumo arranged to meet up with Christine Keeler. The two had a brief affair which ended before the New Year.

In 1963 the affair became fairly widely known. On 21 March 1963, George Wigg MP, Harold Wilson’s witch finder general, many years later to be convicted of kerb crawling, hinted at it in the Commons. That night Profumo was got out of bed and questioned by colleagues. On one account, Iain Macleod, the Leader of the House, asked Profumo outright:  “John, did you fuck her?” The next day Profumo made a statement in the House denying “any impropriety”.

Rumours continued and on 4th June, during a short Commons recess, Profumo confessed to Macmillan’s Principal Private Secretary Tim Bligh who telephoned Macmillan who was in Scotland. Profumo resigned from the government and resigned his seat. The press had a field day. Family newspapers could safely recount a story of fun-loving attractive girls, a cabinet minister, the Russian Naval attaché, a leading member of the House of Lords (Lord Astor) and other rather shady individuals frolicking round the swimming pool at a great house. I was at prep school at the time and we had great fun piecing together a story parents judged not suitable for our innocent ears…

We can take up the story from Macmillan’s Diary and an entry written on 7 July recorded that on 17th June 1963 seventeen Conservative MPs abstained – a very large rebellion for those days. During the week there was a flood of rumours of widespread discreditable sexual behaviour involving numerous ministers. The Diary recorded that on 24th June “I had announced the appointment of Lord Denning to hold a judicial enquiry” and added “I hope that this will clear the ministers and make people a little ashamed of their behaviour” (Diaries, Page 572)

On 3rd August, Macmillan noted rumours that Denning would condemn (“or rather fail to clear…of scandalous conduct”) one important and …

Trump accepts ownership of the current economy: 'I'm very proud of it'
Trust is earned, not demanded.

In an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas that aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday, the 47th president said the country is already experiencing the Trump economy.
“At what point are we in the Trump economy?” Llamas asked.
“I’d say we’re there now,” he replied. “I’m very proud of it.”
His remarks come at a time when most Americans tell pollsters they are not satisfied with the state of the economy and as Trump executes a barnstorming strategy to bring his economic message to political battlegrounds before the November midterms.
An NPR/Marist/PBS News survey released last week showed that 36% of adults say they approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 59% disapprove. In off-year elections last November, Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey and New York hammered away at “affordability” on their way to victory.
In the interview, which was taped Wednesday in the Oval Office, Trump said the economy is doing so well that Democrats are abandoning that message — and also blamed his predecessor, President Joe Biden, for stubbornly high prices on some staples.
“In the last four days, it’s only four days, the Democrats have not uttered the word ‘affordability,’” he said. “They’re the ones that caused the problem. I took over a mess in every way.”
Trump has consistently blamed the poor economy on former President Biden. Why does he feel comfortable enough to take ownership over the economy now? If he takes ownership over a flailing economy, will that create a bigger problem for him politically? Since he feels that Democrats have stopped talking about affordability, will he abandon any attempts to fix that problem?

Federal judge orders Fulton County election raid documents to be unsealed
This looks less like justice and more like strategy.

A federal judge in Georgia has ordered the unsealing of documents tied to an FBI raid that seized 2020 election ballots from a Fulton County facility, potentially shedding new light on the bureau’s investigation.
Judge J.P. Boulee, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2019, gave the government until Tuesday to file the documents, including the search warrant affidavit with redactions.
"Although Petitioners originally filed this case under seal, both parties have now indicated to the Court that they do not oppose unsealing the docket or the motions filed by Petitioners," Boulee wrote in the order. 
"Moreover, Respondent has stated that it does not oppose the unsealing of the search warrant affidavit and any other papers associated with the warrant subject to the redaction of the names of nongovernmental witnesses," the order continued.
GEORGIA'S FULTON COUNTY FILES MOTION SEEKING RETURN OF 2020 ELECTION MATERIALS SEIZED BY FBI
The FBI raid took place Jan. 28 at Fulton County’s main election facility in Union City, near Atlanta, and focused on records connected to the 2020 general election. A warrant cover sheet provided to the county listed items agents sought, including ballots, tabulator tapes, electronic ballot images and voter rolls.
Last week, Fulton County officials filed a motion seeking the return of around 656 boxes of original 2020 election materials that the FBI had seized.
TRUMP DOJ DEMANDS MINNESOTA VOTING RECORDS OVER SAME-DAY REGISTRATION 'VOUCHING' CONCERNS
The heavily Democratic Fulton County has come under scrutiny following President Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden. Biden carried Georgia, but Trump has insisted that widespread voter fraud contributed to him losing the state. 
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years
This looks less like justice and more like strategy.

Hong Kong‘s legal system sentenced pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on Monday after he was charged with violating China‘s national security law.

In December, Lai was convicted of colluding with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiring to publish seditious materials. Lai, a British citizen, pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from his pro-democracy advocacy and journalism amid the anti-government protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.

Beijing cracked down on the demonstrations at the time, imprisoning thousands of people for protesting China’s control over Hong Kong. The Chinese territory is considered semiautonomous. Lai was one of many who were later prosecuted and convicted.

Lai, 78, is known for running the shuttered Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, which was known for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. He has already spent more than five years in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison after initially being arrested in 2020 on fraud charges.

Lai’s new 20-year sentence marks the longest under China’s national security law.

Six former Apple Daily employees were also sentenced on Monday, with their terms ranging from six to 10 years.

Hong Kong leaders welcomed Lai’s punishment, while Western nations and human rights groups were appalled.

The United Kingdom is calling on Hong Kong to release Lai on humanitarian grounds over his ailing health conditions, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed Lai’s imprisonment with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing late last month.

President Donald Trump has indicated he is aware of Lai’s situation, although he hasn’t taken further action to force Beijing to release him beyond asking Xi to consider it.

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry insisted Lai’s sentence is an internal matter and that other countries should respect the Hong Kong court’s decision.

CHINA CONVICTS HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER JIMMY LAI OF SEDITION

“We urge relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty and abide by the rule of law in Hong Kong,” the spokesman said. “They must not make irresponsible remarks about” Hong Kong’s legal proceedings.

Beijing’s response came after Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) issued a statement urging his colleagues to pass a bipartisan bill that would close Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco.

James York: The Truth on Chagos? We need an off ramp, fast
How is this acceptable?

James York is a member of the Beaconsfield Conservative Association and a policymaker in the insurance industry. 

Nothing is more pressing in our national politics right now than the plight of the absurd, inconceivable, illogical, baffling and frankly suspicious Chagos Islands “deal”. We must find Sir Keir (Sucker?) Starmer an off ramp. A democracy that treats non-binding advice as binding, perpetuates the conversion of sovereignty into ritual.

Trumps acquiescence was caveated by the admission he’d use force to protect his interests. Did you catch the deep breath of irony? It was negating by its nature! Loathe, respect or love Trump – it’s pretty evident that he is playing the game of international relations poker as a realist.

He knows it’s all about power, but one fears our “regulation oriented” barristercrats don’t. They quietly rock, mumbling about “international law”, whilst power across the world does what it wants until it meets the equal and opposing force of other power. There’s really only two states that matter right now.

We all know, in Texas Holdem’ terms, this Chagos move is quit literally “a flop” of bad, bad cards, and very expensive “blinds”!

Let’s take a stock check of why we’re doing this Chagos deal. Firstly, there’s “legal” obligation. It doesn’t take a barristercratic Cambridge alum to spot that the “ruling” behind which Starmer hides is merely advisory.

If the police “advised” you to pay a fine, you might think it in your best interests to, thus avoiding future ire. But if your neighbour did because a bamboo plant had snuck under their fence. Would you? Well, only would if their demand was backed by, say, those police. But the world has no such police force. No state is bound by anything but power. It’s a long-standing thing we call sovereignty. It’s telling that so many on the left scoff at the word.

This ruling is the equivalent of a neighbour demanding compensation, with no police force to enforce it if you don’t comply. Just the dirty looks of other neighbours – many of whom have their skeletons in the windows and feral kids hacking your wifi.

Are you seriously going to change their future behaviour just by “doing the right thing”?

Equivalently, are we noticing British actions being ruled upon by a Chinese and a Russian judge? Something about it doesn’t track. Roughly 50 per cent of the ICJ advisory ruling’s judges could be considered as originating from democracies! This is not an outright accusation of bad faith. Rather, a recognition of the potential that legal cultures formed in non-democratic systems cannot help but interpret consent, legitimacy, and the actions of ideological counterparts differently.

There is the question of personal conflicts of interest, too. Whether or not any impropriety exists is not …