Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning for questioning by US lawmakers over his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose network of wealthy and influential associates has long drawn scrutiny and conspiracy theories.
Gates, one of the world’s richest individuals and a prominent philanthropist, appeared before the House Oversight Committee for a transcribed interview focused on his interactions with Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.
“I hope my testimony is helpful to the work — important work — of the committee to find justice for the victims,” Gates told reporters as he entered the hearing room, declining to take further questions.
Lawmakers invited Gates after documents released by the US Department of Justice raised fresh questions about his contacts with Epstein.
Several other high-profile figures have previously appeared before the committee, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
A spokesperson for Gates said in a statement that the billionaire welcomed the opportunity to testify and reiterated that he had “never witnessed or participated in Epstein’s illegal conduct”.
Among the materials under review is a 2013 draft email in which Epstein appeared to suggest he had helped Gates manage reputational fallout from extramarital affairs, including allegations involving sexually transmitted infections.
Gates has dismissed the email as fabricated and denied the allegations. He told Australian television in February that he regretted his association with Epstein, describing it as a “foolish” decision, but insisted it had no connection to Epstein’s criminal activities.
“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise that I did that… It’s factually true that I was only at dinners. I never went to the island; I never met any women,” he said.
Simply appearing in Epstein-related documents does not in itself indicate wrongdoing.
Reports, including coverage by the Wall Street Journal, have said Gates previously acknowledged extramarital relationships during his time at Microsoft but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims. His association with Epstein reportedly began in 2011, several years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Gates is also reported to have acknowledged that his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, raised concerns about Epstein in 2013, though he continued to maintain contact with him for at least another year. French Gates, who divorced him in 2021, has said lingering questions about the relationship should be addressed by her ex-husband.
The House Oversight Committee is investigating Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a broader probe into how US authorities handled the case and what information has been released from official files.
US President Donald Trump, who also maintained a years-long association with Epstein, initially resisted the release of related files, triggering accusations of a cover-up during his first year back in office.
Democrats on the committee say they intend to question Gates on what he knew about Epstein’s crimes and the full extent of their relationship.
The interview was conducted behind closed doors and will not be videotaped, unlike several other committee proceedings.
US media reports said Gates has engaged legal counsel, including former Justice Department lawyer John Moran, and received briefing assistance from Jake Greenberg, a former senior Oversight Committee investigator — a move ethics experts say raises optics concerns, though not necessarily legal violations.
AFP
