Veteran French Politician Steps Down Following Epstein Files Release
Jack Lang, a former French culture minister, has resigned from his role as president of the prestigious Arab World Institute in Paris. This decision comes in the wake of disclosures about his past associations with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the initiation of a financial investigation by French authorities.
Fallout from Epstein Documents
Lang's departure marks a significant development in the European repercussions of files released by the US Department of Justice on January 30. These documents, which detail Epstein's extensive social, networking, and financial connections, have implicated Lang as the most prominent public figure in France caught up in the latest release of private messages.
A screengrab from the investigation files shows Lang with Epstein at the Louvre pyramid in Paris, highlighting their interaction. Lang, 86, resigned on Saturday night prior to an urgent meeting convened by the French foreign ministry to discuss his links to Epstein.
Financial Investigation Launched
Earlier on Saturday, the French Financial Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into Jack Lang and his daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, on suspicion of "aggravated tax fraud laundering." This probe was prompted by references to both individuals in the Epstein files. Both have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Examples of emails between Jack Lang and Jeffrey Epstein, taken from documents made available by the US Department of Justice, further illustrate their correspondence, which occurred intermittently between 2012 and 2019, the year Epstein died by suicide in jail.
Lang's Political and Cultural Legacy
Lang served as culture minister under Socialist president François Mitterrand during the 1980s and 1990s, overseeing major modern architectural projects such as the construction of the Louvre Pyramid. Since 2013, he has led the Institut du Monde Arabe, or Arab World Institute, a cultural and research institution that promotes understanding of the Arab world and is supervised by the French foreign ministry.
According to news agencies, Lang was mentioned more than 600 times in the Epstein files. His daughter, Caroline Lang, was also repeatedly referenced. She resigned this week from France's Union of Independent Producers after emails revealed she had founded an offshore company with Epstein in 2016 to invest in the work of young artists. Caroline Lang stated she resigned from that offshore company when further allegations against Epstein emerged in 2019 and denied any misconduct.
Denials and Legal Responses
Caroline Lang was reportedly listed in Epstein's will as a beneficiary of €5 million, according to the French investigative website Mediapart. However, she told France 2 that she had never heard of the will, seen any such document, or received any funds.
Jack Lang has expressed shock that his name appeared in the statutes of the offshore company in 2016, insisting he viewed Epstein solely as a philanthropist. In a defence echoed by other Epstein associates, Lang claimed ignorance of Epstein's criminal behaviour, despite Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
"How could a man so courteous, so charming, so generous have perpetrated such abominations?" Lang remarked to France 2 this week, adding he was shocked to learn of the allegations against Epstein in 2019.
Laurent Merlet, a lawyer representing both Jack and Caroline Lang, told Agence France-Presse: "There has been no movement of funds ... But I think it is normal for the justice to want to verify this." He noted that Caroline Lang remained "serene" as she had not received any funds.
Context and Broader Implications
A video from March 2019 shows Lang with Epstein in front of the Louvre pyramid, months before Epstein was charged with sex trafficking girls as young as 14. Despite this, investigations by Le Monde and Mediapart indicate that no documents released by the US justice department suggest either Lang or his daughter were involved in Epstein's sex crimes.
Earlier in the week, Lang had resisted calls to resign from all political parties, including his own, but ultimately stepped down. He revealed that he was introduced to Epstein by the American actor and director Woody Allen.
Epstein, who owned a large apartment in western Paris, was a frequent visitor to the French capital before his death in prison in 2019. This case underscores the ongoing global fallout from the Epstein scandal, affecting high-profile figures across Europe.
