House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told reporters Wednesday that he is not in favor of pardoning former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her testimony and cooperation with the committee.

Comer said members of his panel are split over whether they support the pardon after she invoked the Fifth Amendment during her deposition earlier this year. Maxwell’s attorney said she would only answer questions if given clemency.

The chairman said a lot of people are in favor of the pardon but that he himself is against it and that it has divided his panel. He did not indicate what lawmakers support the pardon.

“My committee’s split on that. I don’t speak for my committee,” he told Politico. “I think it looks bad. Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell.”

House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia said his party is united in opposing the pardon, stating it would be a “giant step back” for Epstein’s survivors.

“She is a known abuser. She is a known liar,” he insisted. “If the DOJ or Oversight Republicans are out there trying to negotiate some sort of pardon that is … not only a huge slap in the face to this investigation, to anyone, to the American public, it’s a part of a massive cover-up.”

The comments come as the committee weighs a public hearing with Epstein’s survivors. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump said earlier this month that they support public hearings with the survivors.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.