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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled to face questioning from US lawmakers over his ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, whose network of wealthy and influential figures has drawn years of scrutiny and conspiracy theories.
Gates was due to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday for a transcribed interview regarding Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.
The committee requested Gates’s appearance after Justice Department documents raised fresh questions about his interactions with Epstein. Other prominent figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, have also been called to provide testimony.
A spokesperson for Gates said the billionaire welcomed the chance to appear and stressed that he had “never witnessed or participated in Epstein’s illegal conduct.”
Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He told Australian television in February that he had been “foolish” to associate with Epstein but maintained the relationship had no connection to Epstein’s crimes.
“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise that I did that. It’s factually true that I was only at dinners. I never went to [his] island, I never met any women,” Gates said.
Epstein’s files include a 2013 draft email suggesting he helped Gates manage fallout from extramarital affairs, which Gates has denied, calling the email fake.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates admitted to affairs with two Russian women but denied contact with Epstein’s victims.
The House Oversight Committee continues to investigate Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, examining how government agencies handled the case. Democrats have indicated they will question Gates on what he knew about Epstein’s criminal activities and the full scope of their relationship.
Gates has hired legal counsel and received preparation from a former Oversight Committee investigator, a move experts say may raise questions about optics but does not violate rules. The interview will not be videotaped.
