Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates appeared before a committee of the US Congress. Gates said that when he was in contact with Jeffrey Epstein, he was not fully aware of his crimes. Gates said that he met Epstein to raise funds for his philanthropic activities and social projects. Gates said that he never saw Epstein commit any crime. But she alleged that Epstein was blackmailing her about extramarital affairs.
According to Gates, Epstein wanted them to continue contacting and working with him again. She said her personal relationship was unrelated to her work with Epstein, but it caused great distress to her family. Gates says that Epstein also spread many false things about him and tried to put pressure on him by using them.
Gates was called to testify in March
This statement has come at a time when the US Justice Department is investigating the Epstein case. Gates testified behind closed doors in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee of the US Parliament. This committee is investigating government negligence in the cases related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Committee Chairman James Comer called Gates to give a personal statement in March. Gates took the help of Jake Greenberg for his preparation, who had previously been the chief investigating officer of the same committee.
Epstein died in 2019
Epstein pleaded guilty to a felony prostitution charge in Florida in 2008 and spent 13 months in prison. After this, in 2019, he was accused of sex trafficking of minor girls. He denied the charges, but died in prison before his trial could begin. Officials ruled his death a suicide.
US Justice Department documents released this year revealed that Gates and Epstein met several times even after his release from prison in 2008. Both had discussed taking forward Gates’s philanthropic plans. The documents also included some photographs in which Gates appeared with some women, although their faces were hidden. Gates has previously said that it was his mistake to meet Epstein and that the conversation between them was limited to charitable activities only.
Gates Foundation is also investigating
According to a Gates Foundation spokesperson, Gates accepted responsibility for his decisions in a meeting with employees in February. The foundation announced in April that it would conduct an independent investigation into its past relationship with Epstein. Email records released in January also revealed contact between Epstein and some foundation employees.
Millions of documents released by the Justice Department also revealed that Epstein had connections with many big personalities in the world of politics, business, finance and education. These also include the name of US President Donald Trump, who used to appear at social events with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s.
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