Bill Gates Faces Lawmakers Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

Bill Gates testified before a House committee on Wednesday, spending six hours answering questions about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and accusing Epstein of attempting to blackmail him over extramarital affairs.

Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011, hoping to secure larger charitable donations for his philanthropic work. He says he cut ties when it became clear that was never going to happen. But Gates told lawmakers that Epstein then tried to leverage personal information against him, saying Epstein "was working to use information about my infidelities, in addition to many lies that he layered on top, to pressure me to re-engage with him."

Lawmakers pressed Gates on emails Epstein appeared to have drafted to himself in 2013, which suggested he had helped Gates obtain drugs "after sex with Russian girls." Gates has denied those allegations. Ranking Member Robert Garcia said Gates believes Epstein "would write emails that were oftentimes untrue."

Gates was firm that he never witnessed, nor had any indication of, Epstein's criminal conduct. "I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home," Gates said. "I have never victimized anyone." He has not been criminally accused of any wrongdoing.

Still, Gates acknowledged his decision to engage with Epstein at all, knowing Epstein had prior sexual misconduct convictions, was "a grave error in judgment." Rep. James Walkinshaw noted Gates "regretted not researching the details of it" before pursuing the relationship.

Committee members offered differing reads on Epstein's motivations. Rep. Stephen Lynch said he believes "Epstein saw a vulnerability and tried to use that as leverage," while Rep. Tim Burchett put it more plainly: "Epstein was a friend collector. He just liked to have people around him that were a big deal."

Gates declined to take questions from reporters after leaving the hearing, though he said before departing that he hoped his testimony would help the committee "find justice for the victims."