Bill Gates to face congressional investigators about ties to Jeffrey Epstein

By Annie Grayer, Andrew Kaczynski, MJ Lee, CNN

(CNN) — Bill Gates will testify behind closed doors on Capitol Hill on Wednesday after the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files this year raised questions about the billionaire’s ties to the late convicted sex offender — marking one of the most high-profile appearances before congressional investigators to date.

The House Oversight Committee sought Gates’ voluntary cooperation after a tranche of documents released by the Department of Justice revealed a series of graphic, unverified allegations, as well as a degree of philanthropic coordination between Gates and Epstein that was more detailed than previously known. Marking the committee’s 15th interview, Gates is expected to face questions from Republicans and Democrats alike about the extent of his relationship with the late financier.

Gates is among the many powerful figures in Epstein’s orbit — from Howard Lutnick to Bill Clinton—– who have appeared in video or photos released by the Justice Department from its case files.

As CNN previously reported, the most explosive elements of the earlier document release involved two draft emails Epstein appears to have written himself in July 2013. In these stream-of-consciousness notes, riddled with typos and vitriol, Epstein appears to claim he facilitated sexual encounters for Gates and helped him obtain medication to hide a sexually transmitted infection from his wife.

It’s not clear who wrote the draft messages from 2013 saved in Epstein’s email account or whether they were ever sent, but they are addressed from Epstein to himself. Though the emails suggest at the time some sort of break in their friendship, meetings and email exchanges continued during this time.

Epstein claimed in one email he helped Gates get drugs “in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls” and “illicit trysts, with married women.” The email also references Gates asking Epstein to provide Adderall for bridge tournaments.

The other draft email alleges that Gates tearfully asked Epstein to delete messages referencing an STD, “your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda,” and to delete explicit personal details about his penis.

The allegations contained in the draft email are unverified and uncorroborated. There is no indication the message was ever shared with Gates or anyone else, and the Microsoft co-founder has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.

Gates has strongly denied the claims and a representative of Gates previously told CNN: “These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame. While Mr. Gates acknowledges that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved. Mr. Gates never visited Epstein’s island, never attended parties with him, and had no involvement in any illegal activities associated with Epstein.”

Gates was asked about the latest documents in an interview with CNN affiliate Nine News in Australia in February.

“Apparently Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent, the email is you know, false. So I don’t know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me, you know, every minute I spent with him I regret and I, you know, apologize that I did that,” Gates said.

He added: “It’s factually true that I was only at dinners, you know, I never went to the island. I never met any women. And so, you know, the more that comes out, the more clear it’ll be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”

Gates has also previously said he regrets meeting with Epstein, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper in 2021: “It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there.”

House Oversight Chair James Comer told CNN ahead of Gates’ appearance that there were no limitations in terms of the scope of questions for Wednesday’s closed-door interview.

“We just have questions. I’m not accusing Bill Gates of any wrongdoing. We know that he spent a lot of time with Mr. Epstein. We just want to ask what he knew and if he saw certain things,” Comer said Tuesday.

“Anything’s on the table,” the Kentucky Republican added, noting that while Gates may not be “eager” to testify, he is “willing” to speak.

The over 3 million pages released by the DOJ contain several hundred references to Gates, including numerous emails detailing schedules with meetings, meals, proposed phone calls, and attempts by Epstein to set up meetings with Gates. All of the documented interactions with Gates occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on prostitution-related charges, whether it was a dinner the pair shared in 2010 or a meeting in Norway in August 2012.

“I enjoyed the breakfast a lot,” Gates wrote Epstein in December 2014.

Epstein replied by saying in part, “as usual everyone liked=you alot” and concluded by inviting Gates to his private island, which Gates has maintained he never visited. There’s no indicated Gates accepted the invite.

Ahead of Gates’ appearance on Capitol Hill, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, said it is “very concerning” that Gates maintained a relationship with Epstein after the late sex offender’s conviction.

“We’ve said we don’t care if you are a Republican or a Democrat or who you are. The fact that Mr. Gates still had a relationship with Mr. Epstein even after knowing about the conviction, knowing actually what he had done, I think is very concerning. So we want to know what did Mr. Gates know, who else was around in that orbit, and why Mr. Gates continued to have a relationship with Mr. Epstein,” Garcia said Tuesday.

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