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Les Wexner denies knowledge of Epstein crimes in deposition with skeptical Democrats

Billionaire retail mogul Les Wexner denied firsthand knowledge of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity in a deposition with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday, garnering skepticism from Democrats.

Wexner, who employed Epstein as a financial manager through the 1990s and early 2000s, told the panel he was conned by Epstein, that Epstein lived a “double life” and that he regretted ever knowing the “clever, diabolical … master manipulator.”

But several Democrats on the panel who traveled to New Albany, Ohio, to attend the deposition at Wexner’s estate in person were not convinced by the denials, with ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) saying Wexner was trying to “downplay” the closeness of his relationship with Epstein.

“There is no single person that was more involved with providing Jeffrey Epstein with the financial support to commit his crimes than Les Wexner,” Garcia said at a press conference during a break in the deposition. “We’ve also heard directly from survivors about Mr. Wexner, about his involvement, and their concerns as to the enormous amount of money that was essentially transferred over.”

The Wexner deposition, which came after the panel issued a subpoena pursuant to a motion made by Democrats on the panel, included GOP committee staff but no Republican members of Congress. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) was not in attendance at the deposition due to previously scheduled oral surgery, a source told The Hill.

It is just one of a number of high-profile depositions the Oversight panel will conduct in its sprawling Epstein investigation this year, as the issue fuels Democratic accusations of a cover-up by officials in the Trump administration and beyond.

Next week, the panel will depose former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in person, after the two agreed to the GOP majority’s deposition terms rather than face a vote on being held in contempt of Congress. Subpoenas have also been issued to Epstein’s lawyer Darren Indyke and Epstein’s accountant Richard Kahn.

Wexner — a retail mogul connected to brands such as Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Victoria’s Secret — has long been scrutinized for his connections to Epstein. 

Prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, alleged she was trafficked to Wexner, which the billionaire has denied. Files released by the Department of Justice show Wexner was listed as a potential co-conspirator in the Epstein case on a 2019 FBI document. Wexner has not been charged with any crime, and his lawyer previously told The New York Times he was not a target of a federal investigation or viewed as a co-conspirator.

Wexner said in Wednesday’s deposition that he “was never a participant nor co-conspirator in any of Epstein’s illegal activities.”

“Let me state from the start: I was naive, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide,” Wexner said in opening statement to the committee, according to prepared remarks shared with The Hill. “And, let me be crystal clear: I never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity.”

Wexner said he has been “completely devoted” to his wife Abigail.

“To be clear, never once in 36 years have I been unfaithful to Abigail in any way, shape, or form. Never. Any suggestion to the contrary is absolutely and entirely false,” Wexner said. “Again, to be clear, I never saw or heard about Epstein being in the company of a minor girl.”

Wexner said that Epstein lived a “double life.” As Epstein was first facing criminal charges in Florida in 2007, Wexner and his wife found out Epstein had conned and stolen money from his family.

“In light of his eventual guilty plea and deception of our family, we completely severed our relationship with Epstein. Epstein was permanently and irrevocably out of my life. While others visited Epstein in jail and associated with him after his release, I did not. Nor did I witness, condone, or enable his crimes in any way,” Wexner said in the deposition.

But Democrats doubted Wexner’s honesty.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (Mass.) said at the press conference that despite Wexner being 88 years old, the billionaire is “lucid” and “certainly capable of answering these questions.”

“He’s a competent witness. He’s just not telling the truth,” Lynch said.

“Everyone around Jeffrey Epstein knew exactly what he was up to,” Rep. Dave Min (D-Calif.) said. “To spend that much time, to give that much trust to Jeffrey Epstein, and then to say, ‘I don’t remember seeing any young girls. I didn’t hear anything about Jeffrey Epstein’ — it really is not possible.”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said the deposition will leave lawmakers and the public with more questions than answers.

“It is almost inconceivable to be missing the amounts of money that are missing and somehow, Mr. Wexner has no idea,” Crockett said.

Wexner said he was completely focused on his businesses, and had granted Epstein power of attorney to quickly execute financial transactions.

Wexner said after Epstein purchased his now-famous New York townhouse at what he was told was the appraised value, Wexner “never set foot in that house again”; and said he visited Epstein’s island “only once” when he stopped over with his wife and their young children for a few hours one morning.

“That was kind of a repetitive thing as well, when we asked if he had been to another property. He said, ‘I was there for one hour. And I go to many places for just one hour,’” Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) said.

Garcia raised concerns about Wexner telling the panel he has not been questioned about Epstein by the FBI or Department of Justice.

“How outrageous is that?” Garcia said. “He’s someone that’s been named by survivors; someone that’s in the files more than most people; someone that’s clearly the financial benefactor to Jeffrey Epstein.”

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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