Gates made the comments during closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee on June 10
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told US lawmakers that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared to be considering blackmailing him about his extramarital affairs, according to a transcript of Gates’ testimony released by a congressional committee.Gates made the comments during closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee on June 10 as part of the investigation into his past relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.Gates said Epstein made what he described as “veiled” threats and appeared to be exploring ways to use personal information about him to maintain his influence, even as Gates distanced himself from the financier.“I was not blackmailed, but you know, when you look at these emails, it appears that Mr. Epstein’s brainstorming was going in that direction,” Gates told lawmakers, referring to documents in the Epstein case released by the US Justice Department in January.He added: “He never sent me anything that I would call blackmail.”
Gates describes drafts of emails
During questioning, Gates said it appeared that Epstein was “kind of rehearsing” how he or someone else might try to blackmail him, though no such messages were ultimately sent.
According to Agence France-Presse, Gates pointed to draft emails that suggested Epstein may have been considering exploiting his knowledge of Gates’ personal life.The 70-year-old businessman also maintained that he was not aware of Epstein’s criminal behavior when their relationship began and maintained that he “never harmed anyone.”
Friendship and regret
Gates said his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving minors.He acknowledged knowledge of Epstein’s legal problems, but said he was told the financier could help raise significant funding for global health initiatives.“I knew it was of a sexual nature, but no, I don’t think I knew. I looked into the details, even though I should have known,” Gates said.The testimony mirrors statements Gates made in a written statement to a House committee earlier this month, in which he called his association with Epstein a “terrible error in judgment.”“I never should have met Epstein in the first place,” Gates said in the statement, adding that he regretted any interaction that may have helped boost Epstein’s reputation.
Congressional audit
The House Oversight Committee is examining Epstein’s network of connections with influential figures in politics, business and philanthropy. Lawmakers questioned Gates about meetings that took place between 2011 and 2014, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.Gates told the committee that he spoke with Epstein in discussions regarding philanthropy and global health funding, but later severed ties when those efforts failed to materialize.He also denied any knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity, and previously said he never visited Epstein’s private island or interacted with any victims, according to TOI.Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors, and died in custody later that year.The publication of court and Justice Department records has led to renewed scrutiny of his relationships with prominent public figures, although the mention of his name in those documents does not in itself imply any wrongdoing.