Billionaire Bill Gates will testify on June 10 before a US congressional committee investigating the connections of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source close to the matter told AFP on Tuesday.
The Microsoft co-founder is among the names appearing in documents released by the Justice Department, which revealed close friendships, illicit financial transactions and private photos of prominent people with Epstein.
According to a spokesman for the billionaire, cited by Politico, Gates “rejoices” at the opportunity to appear before the commission.
“He never assisted or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal acts,” which is why he “looks forward to answering the commission’s questions to support this important work,” he added.
The Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s questions.
In late February, Gates told his foundation board members that ties to Epstein were a “huge mistake.” Although he denied any involvement in the criminal activities of the financier, who committed suicide in prison in 2019 while waiting to be tried for sex trafficking of minors.
Bill Gates “sees nothing”
“I didn’t do anything illegal. I didn’t see anything illegal,” Gates said then, according to a recording of that statement to which The Wall Street Journal had access.
The billionaire acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after the former financier pleaded guilty to inciting the prostitution of a minor.
A draft email written by Epstein, released by the Justice Department, mentions Gates’ extramarital affairs.
In the message, which apparently was never sent, the sex offender boasted of having helped “Bill” obtain medication to “remedy the consequences of having had sexual relations with Russian girls.”
Gates acknowledged two affairs at the meeting, but denied any relationship with Epstein’s victims.
