Ghislaine Maxwell appealed to Congress on Tuesday to push for a pardon so she can "testify openly and honestly" about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a letter from her attorney. The overt pitch for clemency came in a letter to the House Oversight Committee which had subpoenaed Maxwell for testimony and records.

Trump’s comments expanded on remarks he made a day earlier when he said he banned Epstein from his private club two decades ago because his one-time friend “stole people that worked for me.”

"He took people that worked for me. And I told him, 'Don’t do it anymore.' And he did it," Trump told reporters.