House Democrats on Wednesday questioned billionaire Leslie Wexner as part of their investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, sought to minimize his relationship with Epstein, Democrats said during a break in the deposition.
They also expressed skepticism about Wexner’s account of their relationship.
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"We should be very clear that there would be no Epstein island, there would be no Epstein plane, there would be no money to traffic women and girls," Rep. Robert Garcia said. "Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner."
Democrats said they are aware of approximately $1 billion in Wexner’s wealth that was transferred to Epstein.
"It's important to know that Mr. Wexner appears to be unaware of much of the money that he claims that was given over to Mr. Epstein," Garcia said. "In fact, it's interesting that Mr. Wexner has already begun to clarify, in his mind, that somehow he and Mr. Epstein weren't even friends."
Garcia also said Wexner, 88, traveled on Epstein’s plane and visited his island.
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The House Oversight Committee’s investigation is separate from the Justice Department’s release of Epstein-related files. Democrats criticized the department, claiming it has not released all materials required under the law, which could help in its investigation.
While Wexner is mentioned numerous times in the files, he has not been charged with a crime. Being named in the documents does not mean a person committed or had knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Wexner also told Democrats he's not been questioned by the FBI or Justice Department.
"How outrageous is that?" Garcia said. "He's someone that's been named by survivors, someone that's in the files more than most people, someone that's clearly the financial benefactor to Jeffrey Epstein and has not been contacted or interviewed by the FBI or the DOJ. What the hell is going on?"
