(The Center Square) – Democrats on the House Oversight Committee remain unconvinced of 88-year old billionaire Les Wexner’s claim that he was “duped” by sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein throughout their entire roughly 20-year relationship.
The founder of Limited Brands retailer and former CEO of Victoria’s Secret was deposed by the committee in his Ohio residence Wednesday, where he denied any knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking activities.
“I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein,” Wexner said in his statement to Congress. “He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide. I completely and irrevocably cut ties with Epstein nearly twenty years ago when I learned that he was an abuser, a crook, and a liar. And, let me be crystal clear: I never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity. I was never a participant nor coconspirator in any of Epstein’s illegal activities.”
Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, had acted as Wexner’s finances manager and advisor beginning in the mid-1980s. The two reportedly became close, with Wexner calling Epstein a “loyal friend” in the past.
Epstein received power of attorney over Wexner’s finances by 1991. While it is unclear how long Epstein held that power, he and Wexner remained associates until 2007.
Wexner claimed Epstein “carefully and fully hid” from him all criminal behavior during that time by “curat[ing] an aura of legitimacy” through his connections with respected high-ranking individuals.
“He was clever, diabolical, and a master manipulator. He was meticulous in revealing to me only glimpses into the life in which he was a sophisticated financial guru,” Wexner said. “He knew that I never would have tolerated his horrible behavior. Not any of it. At no time did I ever witness the side of Epstein’s life for which he is now infamous.”
More than two hours into the deposition, however, committee Democrats remained unconvinced of Wexner’s innocence. They accused Wexner of downplaying his financial support of Epstein and giving Epstein "license and ability” to traffic women and girls.
“There is no single person that was more involved in providing Jeffrey Epstein with the financial support to commit his crimes than Les Wexner,” committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., told reporters during a break in the deposition.
“Mr. Wexner admitted that he traveled both to Epstein’s island as well as his other properties. Mr. Wexner also admitted that Jeffrey Epstein had a lot of access to Mr. Wexner’s wealth. And when asked even simple questions, even as it relates to Mr. Epstein being the co-president of the foundation that established the area that we’re in today, Mr. Wexner had little to say,” Garcia added. “Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner.”
Wexner told lawmakers that he never “witness[ed], condone[d], or enable[d] his crimes in any way.” He said he had only visited Epstein’s island, located in the U.S. Virgin Islands, once with his wife and children.
He also said that after learning that Epstein had “stolen vast sums of money from our family,” he “never spoke with Epstein again,” and in 2007 severed all business ties with Epstein after revelations of his sexual misconduct.
Wexner’s deposition follows the release of unredacted documents from the Department of Justice naming him and others as potential co-conspirators to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Being named in the files does not necessarily implicate an individual in a crime, and Wexner had not been charged for any crime.
