UMVA has learned that House lawmakers are intensifying their scrutiny of billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates as part of their ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Gates is set to participate in a voluntary interview with the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, where he will face tough questions about his relationship with Epstein, which began years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
The interview, which will take place behind closed doors, comes after a trove of documents revealed a correspondence between Gates and Epstein, including discussions about Gates' philanthropic work and social interactions between 2011 and 2014.
Epstein's dark past ultimately led to his downfall, as he was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges before taking his own life in 2019. The documents also suggest that Epstein may have discovered Gates' extramarital affairs with two Russian women during his marriage to Melinda French Gates.
Gates has consistently denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was unaware of Epstein's sex crimes against minors, stating, "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," and adding that it was a "huge mistake" to spend time with Epstein.
A spokesperson for Gates has said he welcomes the opportunity to testify before the committee, stating that he is "looking forward to answering all the committee's questions to support their important work."
Gates is the latest high-profile figure to be grilled by the oversight panel as part of the Epstein investigation, joining a list that includes billionaire businessman Les Wexner, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Lawmakers are keen to understand why Gates maintained a relationship with Epstein despite knowing about his conviction, with House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia saying, "We want to know what did Mr. Gates know, who else was around that orbit and why Mr. Gates continued to have a relationship with Mr. Epstein."
The investigation continues to gather steam, with several other influential figures, including Kathryn Ruemmler, former White House counsel to former President Barack Obama, and Leon Black, co-founder of investment firm Apollo Global Management, set to testify in the coming weeks.
