Bill Gates will sit for questioning Wednesday before the House committee on oversight and reform as lawmakers intensify their scrutiny of his meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Microsoft co-founder faces a closed-door deposition, with a transcript to be released later.
The appearance comes months after the Justice Department unsealed millions of pages documenting Epstein's crimes and associates. Those files contained photographs of Gates, email exchanges, and records confirming he met Epstein multiple times over several years. Committee chair James Comer requested Gates's testimony in March following the document dump.
Gates has never been accused of wrongdoing and has repeatedly stated he witnessed no illegal conduct. A spokesperson said ahead of the hearing that Gates "welcomes the opportunity to appear before the committee" and stands ready "to answer all the committee's questions."
The billionaire philanthropist has made a public effort to distance himself from the disgraced financier. In interviews and internal meetings, Gates has acknowledged repeatedly meeting Epstein between 2011 and 2014 to explore potential global health partnerships. He has described the association as a "huge mistake" and "quite stupid."
According to the Wall Street Journal, which obtained a recording of a February town hall with Gates Foundation staff, Gates said he first encountered Epstein in 2011. This was well after Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida. Gates told employees he knew of travel restrictions placed on Epstein but failed to conduct thorough background research.
Gates continued the relationship for three more years despite concerns raised by his then wife, Melinda French Gates. During the town hall, he disclosed that he flew on Epstein's private jet and spent time with him in Washington, New York, France and Germany, but "never stayed overnight" and did not visit Epstein's private island. Gates explicitly stated he ended the relationship in 2014, though he said he continued receiving emails afterward that went unanswered.
The Epstein documents also revealed photographs of Gates with women whose identities were redacted. Gates explained in the employee meeting that Epstein had asked him to appear in pictures with his assistants following their encounters. He pushed back sharply on any suggestion of impropriety, saying "I never spent any time with victims, the women around him."
Gates also addressed disclosures in the files about two extramarital affairs Epstein had learned of. Gates characterized these as entirely separate from Epstein's criminal activity and unrelated to victims. "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," he stated.
The Gates Foundation itself faces renewed examination over the Epstein connection. Foundation officials said a small number of employees engaged with Epstein based on his claims he could mobilize significant philanthropic resources for global health work. No collaboration materialized. The foundation announced in April it had commissioned an external review to assess past Epstein engagement and current vetting procedures for new partnerships. An update on that review is expected this summer.
Gates has been preparing for Wednesday's deposition with assistance from Jake Greenberg, the former top investigative counsel to the House oversight committee, according to the New York Times.
Author James Rodriguez: "Gates has spent years saying all the right things about his Epstein mistake, but now he faces real interrogation under oath where lawyered-up answers won't cut it."
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