Bill Gates questioned by Congress about alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Jun 11 (Jowhar) - Bill Gates is heading to Capitol Hill to investigate a matter that has overshadowed some of the world's most prominent figures: his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier whose network of wealthy associates has long attracted intense public interest and fueled conspiracy theories.

The Microsoft founder, one of the richest men in the world and a major philanthropist, is scheduled to sit for a recorded interview with the House Oversight Committee focusing on Epstein.

Epstein was found dead in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.

The committee has requested Mr. Gates to appear after documents from the Department of Justice raised new questions about the nature and extent of his relationship with Epstein.

Other notable names have previously appeared before the committee, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019.

A spokesperson for Mr. Gates stated that he welcomes the opportunity to speak with investigators and emphasized that he “never saw or participated in Epstein’s illegal activities.”

Documents related to Epstein include a draft email sent in 2013 in which Epstein appeared to claim he helped Mr. Gates address issues related to marriage, including seeking antibiotics after a sexual infection.

Mr. Gates dismissed that email as fabricated and denied the allegations.

In an interview he gave in February on Australian television, Mr. Gates stated that it was “stupid” to have associated with Epstein, insisting that the relationship had nothing to do with the financier's criminal behavior.

He said: “Every minute I spent with him, I regret it, and I apologize for having done so… It’s true that I only had dinner with him.”

Simply being named in documents related to Epstein does not imply criminal evidence.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Gates told staff at his foundation that he had a relationship with two Russian women, while denying that he spent time with Epstein's victims.

Mr. Gates stated that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011 – three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The House Oversight Committee has been investigating Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Mr. Gates reportedly acknowledged that his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, expressed concern about Epstein in 2013, but he continued the relationship for at least another year.