A U.S. congressional committee investigating the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is seeking to obtain testimony from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Apollo Global Management LLC co-founder Leon Black.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sent letters to seven individuals on Tuesday, requesting recorded interviews as part of the committee's investigation. The two billionaires are among those named.
In the publicly released letters, the committee stated: "Based on public reports, documents released by the Department of Justice, and materials obtained by the committee, we believe you possess information relevant to this investigation. Therefore, we request that you appear for a transcribed in-person interview and provide testimony."
Other recipients include Goldman Sachs Group General Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler and tech billionaire Ted Waitt. Ruemmler has already indicated through a spokesperson that she is "pleased" to have the opportunity to answer relevant questions.
Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell once claimed that she was in a relationship with Waitt between 2003 and 2010 and attended Chelsea Clinton's wedding as his guest.
The letters specified dates, requesting that the recipients appear before the committee for questioning within the coming months.
Gates has previously described his association with Epstein as a "huge mistake" but has denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for Gates stated that the billionaire is willing to answer questions from the House committee and emphasized that he never participated in or witnessed any illegal activities by Epstein.
This request for interviews represents the latest effort by House Republicans to uncover the connections between Epstein and wealthy, powerful individuals. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, underwent closed-door testimony last week, with the video recordings subsequently made public.
According to an October 2019 report, Gates met with Epstein on multiple occasions starting in 2011, including one instance where he stayed late at Epstein's New York townhouse. At that time, Epstein had already pleaded guilty to two prostitution-related charges.
Gates stated that his meetings with Epstein were intended to discuss a philanthropic project, but the interactions ceased after the likelihood of securing funding diminished.
In the decade following Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to two state charges, including soliciting a minor for prostitution, Black became one of Epstein's primary sources of income.
Black relinquished control of Apollo Global Management LLC in early 2021. Apollo has stated that, although the convicted sex offender repeatedly attempted to ingratiate himself with other company executives, there is no evidence that Epstein or any related entities had a relationship with the company or any of its funds.
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in recent months have further revealed the depth of Epstein's entanglement with Black's financial and personal life. Epstein assisted Black in minimizing tax liabilities, participated in discussions about investment strategies, and repeatedly urged Black to replace executives within his family office.
According to media reports last month, the documents also indicate that Epstein was involved when Black attempted to manage a relationship with a former Russian mistress. Some emails show that Epstein also assisted a woman, who had received cash gifts from Black, with an IRS tax audit.
Black has acknowledged paying Epstein $158 million over the years, describing the payments as consulting fees for estate and tax planning.
A spokesperson for Black did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Comer has requested that Gates appear in Washington for an in-person transcribed interview on May 19, and that Black appear on May 13.