July 27 (UPI) -- United States Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson said on Sunday that he would have "great pause" if President Donald Trump pardoned Ghislaine Maxwell, but said it was Trump's decision.
But Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said that "whatever they need to do to compel [Maxwell's] testimony, as long as it's truthful, I would be in favor of," on Meet the Press Sunday.
Maxwell is the convicted associate of the late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail.
Maxwell, with her attorney, met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for two days last week, which sparked the conversation around a potential pardon. She has served five years of a 20-year sentence. There have been growing calls from Democrats and Republicans for Trump to release files on the Epstein case.
"If you're asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes," Johnson told Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker. "It's hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing. So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would."
