French Ex-Minister Calls Epstein-Linked Allegations ‘Baseless’

Former French culture and education minister Jack Lang has rejected allegations arising from documents connected to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, describing them as baseless. 

French financial prosecutors said on Friday they had opened a preliminary probe into Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, over suspected laundering of proceeds from aggravated tax fraud after their names appeared in files linked to Epstein.

Responding to the development, Lang told AFP on Saturday that the claims against him had no basis and that he was receiving news of the investigation with composure, even relief, as he believes it will clarify matters surrounding his integrity.

“The accusations being made against me are baseless.

“It will bring much light onto the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour.” 

The 86-year-old former culture and education minister is under mounting pressure to step down from his current role as president of the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris, due to scrutiny over his reported connections to Epstein.

France’s foreign minister confirmed he had summoned Lang for a meeting on Sunday, noting that Lang’s name appears more than 670 times in the released US documents. 

Lang has consistently denied any awareness of Epstein’s criminal activities, including his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor and the sex trafficking charges he faced before his death in prison in 2019.

While he declined to comment directly on calls for his resignation, Lang said he welcomed the judicial inquiry, expressing confidence that it would shed light on accusations affecting his reputation.

Lang has led the IMA, a major cultural institution dedicated to the Arab world, for several years.

The institute receives roughly half of its annual 12.3 million euro ($14.5 million) budget from France’s foreign ministry, and its board, comprising Arab ambassadors and French government appointees, has renewed his mandate three times.

His daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, stepped down earlier this week from her position as head of the Independent Production Union.