Bill Gates to Testify on Epstein Ties as Pam Bondi Dodges Subpoena

Bill Gates is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on June 10 about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to sources familiar with the matter. The closed-door deposition adds Gates to a growing list of powerful figures forced to answer questions about their connections to Epstein's trafficking network.

Gates appears thousands of times in Justice Department documents related to Epstein -- far more frequently than most other prominent figures named in the files. The documents reveal Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein's 2008 conviction for sex crimes involving minors, and at one point traveled on Epstein's private plane.

In a statement, a Gates spokesperson said the billionaire "welcomes the opportunity" to testify and "is looking forward to answering all the committee's questions." The statement claims Gates "never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein's illegal conduct" -- a carefully worded denial that sidesteps questions about what Gates knew or should have known about Epstein's crimes.

Emails Detail Alleged Affairs and Deception

The Epstein files include particularly damning emails involving Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates. In one message, Epstein claims he helped Gates obtain medication to treat a sexually transmitted infection allegedly contracted through "sex with Russian girls." Epstein further alleges that Gates wanted to give the STI medication to French Gates in secret.

French Gates told NPR in February that the latest document release filled her with "unbelievable sadness" and reminded her of 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."

Bondi Attempts to Avoid Testimony

While Gates has agreed to testify, Attorney General Pam Bondi is trying to dodge her scheduled April 14 deposition. Bondi was subpoenaed in March to discuss her role in overseeing the release of Epstein files, but the Justice Department now claims she is no longer obligated to appear because she is testifying in her official capacity as Attorney General.

That explanation is nonsense on its face. Bondi was subpoenaed specifically because of actions she took as Attorney General. The fact that she holds that position does not shield her from congressional oversight -- it is the entire reason Congress wants to question her.

Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis sent a letter to committee chair Rep. James Comer claiming the subpoena "no longer obligates her to appear." 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 limited.

"Pam Bondi must come in to testify immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress," Garcia said in a statement. "The survivors deserve justice."

A Parade of Powerful Men

Gates and Bondi are far from the only prominent figures being called to account. The committee has scheduled depositions with Ted Waitt, co-founder of Gateway computers who allegedly had a romantic relationship with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, on April 30. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will testify voluntarily on May 6. Tova Noel, one of the prison guards assigned to watch Epstein the night he died in custody, is scheduled for May 18.

Eight others have already testified, including former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Alex Acosta, Maxwell herself, retail mogul Les Wexner, and both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions during her February deposition. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, though she was transferred to a minimum-security facility after an interview with then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July 2025.

The Clintons both testified in February after unsuccessfully fighting their subpoenas. Over hours of closed-door questioning, both denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes before his 2008 guilty plea. "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong," Bill Clinton said in an opening statement.

Questions Gates Must Answer

Gates has a lot of explaining to do. Why did he continue meeting with Epstein after the 2008 conviction made clear Epstein was a predator? What was discussed in those meetings? Did Gates ever witness anything that should have raised red flags? And what about those emails -- are Epstein's claims about Russian women and secret STI treatment true?

The "I never witnessed any illegal conduct" defense is the refuge of every powerful man who spent time in Epstein's orbit. It is a statement carefully crafted to avoid perjury while revealing as little as possible. The real question is not what Gates witnessed in the moment, but what he knew or should have known about the man he was spending time with.

Epstein did not hide what he was. His 2008 conviction was public. The allegations against him were well-documented. Any billionaire who continued associating with him after that made a choice -- and that choice demands explanation.

The House Oversight Committee has an opportunity to get answers that survivors and the public have been demanding for years. Whether Gates provides those answers honestly, or hides behind carefully parsed denials, will tell us everything we need to know about his character and his complicity.