One year in, Epstein inquiry has found few answers

Article content

Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam described Kahn as a “fixer” who played a central role in Epstein’s financial activities. He made payments for tuition and to girls directly, and his name appeared on shell companies used to channel Epstein’s money, Subramanyam noted.

Article content

Khan said in prepared remarks shared with the media that he was “not aware of the terrible and unforgivable things that he did to women and girls.”

Article content

“Today we’ve heard from Mr. Kahn a lot of inability to recall, inability to recall emails, text messages he was involved in,” Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw said. “If he was ignorant of Mr. Epstein’s crimes, he was willfully ignorant.”

Article content

The Congressional probe was spurred by public pressure and appeals from survivors over the U.S. Justice Department’s handling of the case against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is the only other person besides Epstein to be charged by the Justice Department. She is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in recruiting some of the underage victims abused by Epstein.

Article content

The Justice Department review into the Epstein investigation concluded last year that it “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.” The same memo also noted that Epstein had “harmed over one thousand victims.” Being associated with Epstein does not imply criminal culpability, the department has said.

Article content

Article content

While the interviews have fallen short of uncovering criminal activity, they have revealed damaging information about powerful men. Bill Gates admitted that he had three affairs, including one with a Russian bridge player and another a Russian nuclear physicist, that Epstein became aware of. Based on emails released in January, Epstein may have been considering ways to blackmail him, Gates told the committee.

Article content

Gates associated with Epstein starting in 2011, while being aware of “a horrific crime and continued to interact with him to seek money for his foundation,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top-ranking democrat, said. Gates maintained that he “never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.”

Article content

Melinda French Gates has said her husband’s affairs and association with Epstein contributed to her seeking to end their 27-year marriage in 2021.

Article content

Meanwhile, prominent members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second administration have also been called before the committee. Pam Bondi, who was ousted as attorney general in April, told lawmakers that the release of the files was under the purview of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Article content

Article content

“During questioning, Ms. Bondi invoked Mr. Blanche’s name more than 30 times, pointing to him as the person responsible for DOJ’s actions involving the review, withholding, and botched release of Epstein-related records,” Garcia said.

Article content

For his part, Blanche briefed the committee in March but has since been called on by survivors to testify under oath. A New York Times investigation revealed that Blanche was in the Situation Room with Trump and other administration officials to discuss how to contain the political fallout from the release of the Epstein files. Trump, whose name appears thousands of times in the files, has not been accused of criminal misconduct.

Article content

Survivors released a joint statement that they were deeply disturbed by the Times report and came out against Blanche’s nomination as Trump’s permanent attorney general.

Article content

“Blanche failed to deliver transparency, and he has gravely failed survivors,” they wrote.

Article content

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was Epstein’s next-door neighbour in New York, testified in May that he had met him three times: once during a tour of Epstein’s house with his wife in 2005; another brief conversation about scaffolding on their property; and a meeting with Lutnick’s family on Epstein’s private island for lunch in 2012. He denied having any close relationship with Epstein. The testimony was criticized for being voluntary and not under oath.