Bill Gates will seem Wednesday earlier than a congressional panel investigating the Jeffrey Epstein files, turning into the latest powerful figure linked to the disgraced financier to testify.
Members of the Home Oversight Committee are slated to interview the billionaire Microsoft co-founder behind closed doorways, as they’ve completed with different witnesses within the investigation. Transcripts are sometimes launched later.
Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer, the committee chairman, formally requested that Gates testify after he appeared a number of instances in a trove of documents launched by the Justice Division as a part of its Epstein probe.
The information learn like a who’s who of highly effective males throughout tech, finance, politics and different industries. All have denied involvement in Epstein’s crimes, however some maintained or fashioned friendships with him even after his historical past of sexual abuse got here to gentle.
Included within the information are calendar entries for conferences between Gates and Epstein, e-mail correspondence between the 2 about philanthropic tasks and pictures of Gates at occasions that Epstein additionally attended.
Their skilled relationship started in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded responsible in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and lasted till at the very least late 2014, in keeping with the paperwork.
Epstein was federally indicted in July 2019 on fees of intercourse trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit intercourse trafficking of minors. The Justice Division alleged that Epstein fashioned an enormous community of underage women, some as younger as 14, for him to sexually abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 whereas awaiting trial.
Gates, who chairs the Gates Basis, has not been accused of wrongdoing in reference to Epstein and has denied any information of Epstein’s abuse of women. He has mentioned they met solely to debate philanthropy and has known as his affiliation with Epstein “an enormous mistake.”
Each Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, have mentioned his affiliation with Epstein created stress of their marriage.
The muse acknowledged in February {that a} small variety of staff had met with Epstein based mostly on his “claims that he might mobilize vital philanthropic assets for world well being.” They by no means created a charitable fund collectively, and the inspiration made no funds to Epstein.
Basis CEO Mark Suzman commissioned an exterior assessment in March to look at its previous engagement with Epstein.
At one other closed-door deposition in February, former President Invoice Clinton confronted greater than six hours of questioning from lawmakers about his affiliation with Epstein greater than 20 years in the past. Epstein had visited the White Home a number of instances throughout Clinton’s presidency, and Clinton flew often on Epstein’s personal jet.
The previous Democratic president mentioned he had seen no indicators of Epstein’s sexual abuse and stopped associating with him lengthy earlier than Epstein’s 2008 responsible plea. Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing in reference to Epstein.
Democrats on the Home committee have pushed for testimony from President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his personal relationship with Epstein.
Republicans have mentioned they haven’t come throughout any proof that Trump did something flawed throughout his well-documented friendship with Epstein.
Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake Metropolis.
—Hannah Schoenbaum and Joey Cappelletti Related Press
