Gates Reveals Epstein’s Blackmail Attempts in Congressional Testimony
Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, testified before the House oversight committee on June 10 that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein attempted to blackmail him over his extramarital affairs. The transcript, released on Tuesday, details Gates’s account of Epstein’s “veiled” threats and efforts to exploit knowledge of Gates’s personal life to maintain their association.
Gates, 70, appeared behind closed doors to discuss his friendship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking charges. During the testimony, Gates acknowledged that Epstein considered using his knowledge of Gates’s extramarital relationships as leverage, even as Gates was trying to distance himself from the financier.
Transcript Reveals Gates’s Account of Epstein’s Tactics
According to the transcript, Gates stated: “I was not blackmailed, but you know, as you look at these emails, you know, it looks like Mr Epstein’s brainstorming was going in that direction.” The emails in question were part of documents from the Epstein case released by the US Department of Justice in January.
Under further questioning, Gates clarified: “He never sent me anything that I would call blackmail.” However, Gates perceived that Epstein, through draft emails, “was sort of rehearsing how either he or he, coaching someone else, might choose to blackmail me, but none of those messages were ever sent to me.”
Gates’s Prior Statements on Epstein Relationship
On the day of his testimony, Gates released his opening remarks, in which he claimed he had never been aware of Epstein’s criminal behavior and stated, “I have never victimized anyone.” In late February, Gates told the Wall Street Journal that his ties to Epstein were a major mistake. He admitted to having extramarital affairs with two Russian women but denied any involvement with Epstein’s illicit activities.
Gates stated that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving a minor. Gates acknowledged knowing of Epstein’s legal troubles but said he was told Epstein could raise billions for global health, a cause Gates was deeply involved in. “I knew that it [the Epstein conviction] was of a sexual nature, but, no, I don’t think I knew – dug into the specifics, although I probably should have,” Gates testified.
The mention of a person’s name in the Epstein dossier does not imply wrongdoing, but the documents reveal links between Epstein or his associates and public figures who often downplayed or denied such ties.
