Bill Gates to Face House Oversight Questions on Jeffrey Epstein Ties in June

Bill Gates will answer questions from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein on June 10, according to a person familiar with the committee's investigation who spoke anonymously because the appearance has not been publicly announced.

The interview places Gates among several high-profile figures being questioned by Congress about their associations with Epstein, the financier and sex offender who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Gates has previously acknowledged his relationship with Epstein was a "huge mistake" and admitted in February to staff at the Gates Foundation that he had affairs with two Russian women that Epstein learned about, according to The Wall Street Journal. At that same event, Gates claimed "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," the newspaper reported.

That defense rings hollow given what we now know about Epstein's operation and the willful blindness of wealthy men who orbited him. Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, a fact that raises obvious questions about Gates's judgment and what he actually knew about the scope of Epstein's crimes.

The committee's investigation extends well beyond Gates. Lesley Groff, Epstein's former executive assistant who allegedly helped manage his schedule and coordinate travel, is scheduled for an interview on June 9, the day before Gates appears. Groff was named in civil lawsuits by Epstein survivors but has never faced criminal charges.

Gateway computer co-founder Ted Waitt has agreed to testify on April 30. Tova Noel, a federal correctional officer who was on duty when Epstein died in custody, will be interviewed on May 18. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is slated to appear before the committee on May 6 for his own interview about Epstein.

The breadth of the witness list underscores how deeply Epstein embedded himself among America's financial and political elite. These were not casual acquaintances. These were relationships that persisted even after Epstein's criminal conduct became public knowledge.

The House Oversight investigation represents one of the few ongoing efforts to examine the institutional failures and personal choices that allowed Epstein to operate for decades. Federal prosecutors in New York closed their criminal investigation into Epstein's co-conspirators in 2021 without bringing additional charges, a decision that outraged survivors and advocates who have demanded accountability for everyone who enabled his trafficking operation.

Gates's testimony will be particularly significant given his stature and his foundation's global influence. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Gates's relationship with Epstein was a factor in his divorce from Melinda French Gates, who reportedly expressed discomfort with her then-husband's meetings with the convicted sex offender.

What did Gates know? What did he see? And why did he continue meeting with Epstein years after his conviction? These are questions the American public deserves to have answered under oath.

The committee has not announced whether any of these interviews will be conducted in public or behind closed doors. Transparency in this process is essential. Survivors of Epstein's abuse and the public at large have a right to know what these powerful figures knew about Epstein's crimes and why they maintained relationships with him anyway.

This investigation comes as unsealed court documents continue to reveal new details about Epstein's network and the scope of his abuse. The fight for accountability is far from over, and congressional oversight represents one avenue for forcing answers from people who have spent years avoiding them.