Bill Gates to Testify in Epstein Probe as Pam Bondi Dodges Subpoena

Bill Gates is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on June 10 as part of its ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking network and the powerful men who enabled it. The closed-door transcribed interview adds Gates to a growing list of billionaires, politicians, and Epstein associates being forced to answer questions under oath about their relationships with the disgraced financier.

Gates' name appears thousands of times in Department of Justice documents related to Epstein. According to those files, Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein's 2008 conviction on sex crimes involving minors -- a pattern of contact that raises serious questions about what Gates knew and when he knew it. Gates even traveled on Epstein's private plane, the same aircraft that ferried other wealthy and powerful men to Epstein's properties.

The documents also contain disturbing emails that reference Gates' then-wife, Melinda French Gates. In one message, Epstein claims he helped Gates obtain medication to treat a sexually transmitted infection contracted from "sex with Russian girls." Epstein further alleged that Gates wanted to secretly give that medication to French Gates without her knowledge -- a claim that, if true, would represent a profound betrayal.

French Gates told NPR in February that the latest document releases filled her with "unbelievable sadness" and reminded her of the struggles in her marriage. "Whatever questions remain there of what -- I can't even begin to know all of it -- those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband," she said. "They need to answer to those things, not me."

A spokesperson for Gates said he "welcomes the opportunity to appear before the Committee" and claimed he "never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein's illegal conduct." That carefully worded statement leaves plenty of room for what Gates may have known, suspected, or chosen to ignore.

Bondi Tries to Skip Out on Testimony

While Gates has agreed to testify, former Attorney General Pam Bondi is attempting to avoid her scheduled April 14 deposition despite being subpoenaed by the committee in March. Bondi oversaw the release of Epstein files during her brief tenure as Attorney General, and survivors and their advocates have demanded answers about potential interference or delays in making those documents public.

The Department of Justice sent a letter to Committee Chair James Comer claiming that "because Ms. Bondi no longer can testify in her official capacity as Attorney General, the Department's position is that the subpoena no longer obligates her to appear on April 14." That's a convenient interpretation of how subpoenas work -- one that conveniently shields Bondi from having to answer uncomfortable questions about what she did or didn't do while in office.

The committee said it will contact Bondi's personal counsel to reschedule, but California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, made clear that patience is running thin. "Pam Bondi must come in to testify immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress," Garcia said. "The survivors deserve justice."

Bondi's attempt to dodge testimony fits a familiar pattern: powerful people connected to Epstein trying to avoid accountability by hiding behind technicalities and legal maneuvering. The question is whether Congress will actually follow through on contempt charges or let another Trump administration official skate.

A Parade of Powerful Men

Gates and Bondi are just the latest additions to a witness list that reads like a who's who of American power. Others scheduled to testify include Ted Waitt, the Gateway co-founder who allegedly had a romantic relationship with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who "proactively agreed to appear voluntarily" according to Comer; and Tova Noel, one of the guards assigned to watch Epstein the night he died in federal custody under highly suspicious circumstances.

Eight people have already testified, including Ghislaine Maxwell herself, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Also on that list: former Attorney General Bill Barr, whose Justice Department was in charge when Epstein died; former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who gave Epstein a sweetheart plea deal in 2008; billionaire Les Wexner, Epstein's longtime patron; and both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The sheer number of powerful people orbiting Epstein raises fundamental questions about how a convicted sex offender maintained access to the highest levels of business, politics, and society for years after his crimes became public. Gates' meetings with Epstein didn't happen in secret -- they were documented, scheduled, and in some cases involved Gates' own foundation staff. The same goes for other wealthy men who continued associating with Epstein after his conviction.

What Gates Needs to Answer

When Gates sits down with House investigators in June, he needs to provide clear answers to several questions: Why did he continue meeting with a convicted sex offender? What did those meetings involve? What did Epstein offer that was valuable enough to risk the reputational damage? And what, if anything, did Gates witness during his time around Epstein?

The claim that Gates "never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein's illegal conduct" is doing a lot of work. It's possible to not directly witness a crime while still being aware that crimes are happening. It's possible to benefit from a relationship with a predator without personally participating in the predation. And it's possible to look the other way when doing so serves your interests.

Appearing in the Epstein files thousands of times isn't proof of criminal wrongdoing, but it is proof of extensive contact with a man whose crimes were public knowledge. Gates owes survivors, his ex-wife, and the public a full accounting of what that contact entailed and why he thought it was acceptable.

The House investigation represents one of the few remaining opportunities to get answers about Epstein's network and the institutional failures that allowed him to operate for so long. Whether Congress will actually hold powerful witnesses accountable or let them off with carefully crafted non-answers remains to be seen. But survivors and advocates are watching -- and they're done accepting excuses.