Zürcher Nachrichten - Bill Gates tells Epstein hearing he 'never victimized anyone'

Gates, one of the world's richest men and a leading philanthropist, was appearing before the House Oversight Committee for a transcribed interview about the disgraced financier, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.

"I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone," Gates said in prepared testimony to the closed-door hearing that was posted on his personal website.

Gates described his meeting with Epstein as "a grave error in judgement" and added, "if the time I spent with Epstein lent him any credibility, I am deeply sorry."

The panel asked Gates to appear after documents released by the Justice Department raised new questions about his contacts with Epstein.

Several other high-profile figures have also appeared before the committee, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Simply appearing in Epstein-related documents does not indicate evidence of a crime.

- 'Foolish' -

The Epstein files include a 2013 draft email in which the financier appeared to suggest he had helped Gates manage the fallout from extramarital affairs, including by seeking antibiotics after a sexually transmitted infection.

Gates has called the email fake and denied the allegations.

Gates told his foundation staff that he had affairs with two Russian women, the Wall Street Journal reported, but denied spending time with Epstein's victims.

Gates told the hearing Wednesday that he was introduced to Epstein in 2011 -- three years after the financier pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Gates said Epstein had claimed he could raise billions for global health from people for whom he provided tax and estate services.

"I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed. I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have," Gates said in the testimony.

He said their interactions ended in December 2014 after it became clear none of the potential donors identified by Epstein was interested enough to move forward.

"I told him we would go no further and stopped communicating or meeting with him," Gates said.

Gates has reportedly acknowledged that his then-wife Melinda French Gates raised concerns about Epstein in 2013, but that he continued the relationship for at least another year.

Melinda French Gates, who divorced the Microsoft co-founder in 2021, has said remaining questions about the relationship are for her ex-husband and others to answer.

In his testimony Wednesday, Gates said he learned that the financier "had become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage."

He said these affairs "had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein" but he sought to "use information about my infidelities -- in addition to many lies that he layered on top -- to pressure me to re-engage with him. He was unsuccessful in this effort," he said.

The House Oversight Committee has been investigating Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a broad examination of how the government handled the case and what it has released from its files.

US President Donald Trump, who also had a years-long relationship with Epstein, initially opposed releasing the files, prompting accusations of a coverup that dogged his first year back in office.

Democrats say they intend to ask what Gates knew about Epstein's crimes and the full nature of their relationship.

The interview will not be videotaped, unlike several others released by the committee.

US media reported that Gates had hired former Justice Department lawyer John Moran and received preparation from Jake Greenberg, a former top Oversight Committee investigator, a move that ethics experts said raised questions about optics but did not necessarily violate rules.

W.Odermatt--NZN