WASHINGTON — Bill Gates told a congressional committee Wednesday that he “did not fully understand the extent” of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes when he met with the late convicted sex offender to discuss philanthropic efforts, and said he never witnessed criminal conduct by Epstein.
Testifying privately to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Gates said Epstein sought to exploit information about the Microsoft co‑founder’s extramarital affairs to pressure him into renewed contact. “These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family,” Gates said in his opening statement, according to a copy provided to reporters.
The committee is probing the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein’s cases, including plea deals, alleged mismanagement, and delays in releasing files. Documents released by the Justice Department show Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein’s 2008 Florida conviction, when Epstein served a 13‑month jail term on a state prostitution charge. Federal sex‑trafficking charges were later brought against Epstein in 2019; he pleaded not guilty and died the same year in an apparent suicide before trial.
Gates has long maintained his interactions with Epstein were limited to philanthropy and called meeting him a mistake. The Gates Foundation has launched an external review into its past engagement with Epstein after Justice Department disclosures revealed communications involving foundation staff and images of Gates with women whose faces were redacted.
Representative James Comer, the Republican committee chair, requested Gates appear in person for a transcribed interview. Gates reportedly retained Jake Greenberg, formerly the committee’s chief investigative official, to help prepare for his testimony. A committee spokesperson said it has not worked with Greenberg since his departure in December.
The Justice Department’s document release revealed Epstein’s connections to numerous high‑profile figures across politics, finance and academia, renewing scrutiny of officials’ past handling of the case. The committee’s investigation also covers Ghislaine Maxwell’s prosecution, failures to combat sex trafficking, and the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death.