Washington — Billionaire retail tycoon Les Wexner is testifying earlier than a Home committee Wednesday as a part of the panel’s investigation into the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Wexner, who employed Epstein to handle his cash and was a longtime benefactor, was amongst members of Epstein’s inside circle who have been subpoenaed for testimony final month. The Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee is conducting the deposition behind closed doorways in Wexner’s house state of Ohio on Wednesday morning.
Wexner, 88, beforehand led the guardian firm of Victoria’s Secret and labored with Epstein starting within the mid-Nineteen Eighties. The 2 males parted methods after Epstein’s 2006 arrest however stayed in contact, paperwork present.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the highest Democrat on the committee, stated forward of the deposition that lawmakers have “loads of questions” about their funds, the connection between the 2 males and what Wexner knew about Epstein’s actions, amongst different issues. “There’s in all probability no single person who facilitated the entry to wealth and cash that was transferred over to Epstein” greater than Wexner, Garcia stated.
“They have been very shut for an extended time period,” Garcia stated on MS NOW on Tuesday. “Wexner himself has been named fairly considerably within the Epstein information but in addition by survivors as a key piece of this investigation. And so tomorrow is a really, essential day for us.”
The deposition comes after the Justice Division launched greater than 3 million pages of information associated to Epstein below the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act. Final week, GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who was among the many lawmakers who led the push to drive the discharge of the information, pointed to a 2019 FBI doc that was initially redacted and refers to Wexner as a “co-conspirator.”
Massie questioned Lawyer Common Pam Bondi in regards to the redaction days later when she testified earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee. Bondi stated that the Justice Division unredacted Wexner’s title inside 40 minutes of Massie elevating the problem. She additionally stated she believes Wexner’s title was listed greater than 4,000 instances within the paperwork.
Wexner has not been charged with against the law and has lengthy stated he lower ties with Epstein after his crimes have been made public. A authorized consultant for Wexner instructed CBS Information {that a} federal prosecutor instructed Wexner’s authorized counsel that he was being considered as a “supply of details about Epstein and was not a goal the least bit.”
“Mr. Wexner cooperated totally by offering background data on Epstein and was by no means contacted once more,” the consultant stated.
Wexner’s deposition comes after Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime affiliate of Epstein’s, testified earlier than the panel final week. She invoked her Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination and refused to reply questions.
