Les Wexner Tells Lawmakers That He Was 'conned' By Jeffrey Epstein And Did 'nothing Wrong' - Beritaja

The billionaire erstwhile Victoria's Secret CEO Les Wexner testified to the House Oversight Committee connected Wednesday that he was "conned" by Jeffrey Epstein but denied immoderate wrongdoing, according to a prepared connection provided to Beritaja by a typical for Wexner.

The 88-year-old, who has been nether occurrence complete his galore appearances successful the Justice Department's records connected Epstein, denied allegations he was Epstein's "co-conspirator." In his prepared statement, he told lawmakers that he "never witnessed nor had immoderate knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity." Wexner was testifying successful consequence to a lawsuit from the committee arsenic portion of its probe into the Epstein case.

“I person done thing incorrect and person thing to hide,” he said successful his prepared statement. “I wholly and irrevocably trim ties pinch Epstein about 20 years agone erstwhile I learned that he was an abuser, a crook, and a liar. And, fto maine beryllium crystal clear: I ne'er witnessed nor had immoderate knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity.”

Wexner had a lengthy narration pinch Epstein, who managed Wexner's individual finances for complete a decade successful the 1990s and early 2000s. The FBI referred to Wexner arsenic a imaginable "co-conspirator" successful an Aug. 2019 soul archive compiled days aft Epstein's decease and precocious released by the Justice Department.

In his statement, Wexner maintained he was a unfortunate arsenic well, who'd been ripped disconnected by a personification he'd trusted who "lived a double life. He was clever, diabolical, and a maestro manipulator."

"The different life he led, that we now cognize was afloat of unthinkable crimes, he about cautiously and afloat hid from me. He knew that I ne'er would person tolerated his horrible behavior. Not immoderate of it. At nary clip did I ever witnesser the broadside of Epstein’s life for which he is now infamous," Wexner wrote.

He said he permanently parted ways pinch Epstein successful 2007 aft he was charged pinch soliciting adultery of a minor. He said Wexner's wife, Abigail, began reviewing their financial documents that Epstein had managed.

Wexner said that "after reviewing the accusation it became clear to Abigail that Epstein had stolen immense sums from our family. Once I learned of his abusive behaviour and theft from my family, I ne'er said pinch Epstein again. Never."

"In September 2007, 9 months earlier he pled blameworthy successful Florida, we revoked Epstein’s powerfulness of attorney, removed his entree to our slope accounts, and forced him to resign from each our affiliated entities. Confronted pinch his financial wrongdoing by Abigail, Epstein agreed to, and did, return a important magnitude of money, moreover while continuing to support his full innocence of immoderate wrongdoing, ne'er dropping the con," the connection said.

Leslie Wexner successful 2014.Jay LaPrete / AP file

Wexner has ne'er been charged pinch immoderate wrongdoing.

A batch of Epstein documents that a U.S. territory judge successful New York released successful January 2024 included an allegation made by the precocious Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who testified successful 2016 that she was forced to person activity pinch Wexner galore times.

Wexner has denied the allegation. In his connection Wednesday, he said he ne'er cheated connected his woman pinch anybody.

"I dated Abigail for 3 years and person been joined to her for 33 years. We are wholly devoted to each other. To beryllium clear, ne'er erstwhile successful 36 years person I been unfaithful to Abigail successful immoderate way, shape, aliases form. Never. Any proposal to the contrary is perfectly and wholly false," he said.

A Wexner ineligible typical said successful a connection earlier this period that the billionaire has cooperated pinch the investigations into Epstein.

“The Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s ineligible counsel successful 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target successful immoderate respect. Mr. Wexner cooperated afloat by providing inheritance accusation connected Epstein and was ne'er contacted again,” the typical said.

Wexner's connection sheds ray connected really Epstein came to activity for him. He said they were introduced successful the mid to precocious 1980s, and that Epstein had been recommended to him by apical group astatine Bear Stearns, wherever Epstein had worked, and by a personnel of the Rothschild family, pinch whom Epstein besides worked.

"At first, Epstein was unwilling to return maine connected arsenic a client. In fact, for the first fewer years I was acquainted pinch him, Epstein offered maine proposal present and location while explaining that giving individual financial proposal was not his attraction and refusing to judge compensation. He said he was assisting maine arsenic a favor. Little did I recognize that, from the very start, Epstein was conniving to summation my trust," Wexner said.

"He was meticulous successful revealing to maine only glimpses into the life successful which he was a blase financial guru who consulted pinch heads of state, high-ranking politicians, royalty, assemblage presidents, professors, CEOs, musicians, and different luminaries," the connection said.

In a 2019 missive to his Wexner Foundation, Wexner expressed sympathy for Epstein's victims and said, “I profoundly regret having ever crossed his path.”