Ghislaine Maxwell, the jailed accomplice of sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, has refused to answer questions before members of the US Congress.
But Maxwell's lawyer says she will talk if US President Donald Trump offers her clemency.
Lawyer David Oscar Markus told the congressional committee she "would very much like to answer your questions", but she "must remain silent" because she is asking a court to rule her trial was unfair.
"Ms Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump," Mr Markus told the House of Representatives Oversight Committee.
His written statement also said Mr Trump and former president Bill Clinton were both "innocent of any wrongdoing" but only Ms Maxwell could explain why.
Maxwell was asked to provide evidence as part of the committee's bipartisan investigation into the government's handling of Epstein's case. The probe began before Congress voted late last year to force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files.
Appearing via video link from a Texas prison, Maxwell invoked a constitutional right to silence to avoid self-incrimination, known as pleading the Fifth Amendment.
Democrats slammed the ploy for clemency from Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for grooming and trafficking girls for Epstein, some of whom were as young as 14.
Maxwell has exhausted her options to appeal her conviction and sentence, but her lawyers recently lodged a habeas petition — a long-shot bid for freedom based on a claim of illegal imprisonment. She could also be released under a presidential pardon.
"She is telling Donald Trump through her deposition and that she is trying to buy her clemency," Democratic committee member Melanie Stansbury said.
"She is not being released from jail unless, of course, Donald Trump buys what she is selling."
Fellow committee Democrat James Walkinshaw described Maxwell's demeanour during the deposition as "robotic".
Republican committee chair James Comer said Maxwell's refusal to answer questions was "very disappointing".
"We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators."
Maxwell was last year moved from a Florida prison to a lower-security Texas facility after she met with Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche. At the time, Mr Trump denied he had been asked to grant clemency to Maxwell.
"I'm allowed to do it, but nobody's asked me to do it," he said.
Democrats have called on the president to rule out pardoning Maxwell.
"She is campaigning over and over again to get that pardon from President Trump and this president has not ruled it out," Mr Walkinshaw said.
"And so that is why she's continuing to not cooperate with our investigation. The reality is she is a monster, she should be behind bars, she should stay there."
Interest in Maxwell's testimony was intensified by the recent publication of millions of documents from the Epstein files.
The documents' release has resulted in a flood of revelations about the powerful men in Epstein's circles, but survivors and others have criticised a decision to withhold millions more documents that were initially flagged for possible release.
