Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest men, told reporters he hoped his testimony would assist the committee’s work in finding justice for Epstein’s victims before entering the hearing room without taking further questions.
The committee requested his appearance after Justice Department documents raised fresh questions about his contacts with Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.
A spokesperson for Gates said the billionaire welcomed the opportunity to testify and maintained he had “never witnessed or participated in Epstein’s illegal conduct. “Among the documents in question is a 2013 draft email in which Epstein appeared to suggest he had helped Gates manage the fallout from extramarital affairs. Gates has dismissed the email as fake.
He previously told Australian television he had been “foolish” to associate with Epstein but insisted the relationship was unrelated to the financier’s crimes. Gates said his association with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Several other prominent figures have also appeared before the committee, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.The interview was conducted as a transcribed session and was not videotaped.
