Bill Gates Testifies Before House Committee on Interactions With Jeffrey Epstein

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified in a closed-door session before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday as part of the panel's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Gates said in his opening statement that he met Epstein in 2011 through professional contacts and held five preliminary meetings that year and the next.

He stated that more extensive conversations occurred in 2013 and 2014 focused on potential donor structures for global health work. Gates told the committee he ended all contact with Epstein in December 2014 after a planned donor event produced no results.

He said he never visited Epstein's properties and had no indication Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.

The committee, chaired by James Comer, requested Gates's appearance in March after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related documents. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said Gates had been cooperative and provided information about others in Epstein's orbit.

Representative Stephen Lynch noted that the relationship began after Epstein had already been convicted as a sex offender. A transcript of the session is expected to be released later. Gates said he learned after the relationship ended that Epstein had become aware of personal information about him and attempted to use it to pressure further contact.

He stated he should never have met with Epstein and that the goal of raising funds had overridden his judgment.