Democrats Accuse Billionaire Wexner of Downplaying Epstein Ties During Deposition
House Democrats were critical of billionaire Les Wexner’s congressional testimony on Wednesday regarding the Epstein files.
Wexner, 88, is the founder of Victoria’s Secret. On Wednesday, he gave a deposition to the House Oversight Committee. Axios reported that Democrats on the committee felt that Wexner downplayed his relationship with Epstein.
“[Wexner] denied everything, and quite frankly, it would have been nice to see more remorse,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., told Axios.
CNN reported that Wexner’s name was initially redacted in the “co-conspirator” document within the Epstein files. However, the network stated that Wexner’s name appears hundreds of times in the files. Wexner has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case.
According to CNN, one document lists Wexner as a “secondary co-conspirator” but also notes that there was “limited evidence regarding his involvement.”
Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Earlier this year, the government released 3.5 million documents related to the case. Those documents have helped shine a light Epstein’s relationships with prominent individuals. In several instances, people have resigned from positions for having associated with Epstein.
The 2019 indictment alleged that Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. The government alleged at the time that Epstein worked with others to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims.
According to Democrats, Wexner said he was not interviewed by the Department of Justice or the FBI, even though his name appears in the Epstein file documents numerous times, Axios reported.
The website reported that, according to Democrats, Wexner said Epstein was not a friend and that Epstein had “conned” him. Previously, Wexner accused Epstein of misappropriating $46 million.
The House Oversight Committee began investigating the Epstein case last year, issuing a subpoena for records related to the case. Those efforts led to Congress passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19. Although millions of documents have since been released, millions more documents still have not been released.
