Bill Gates Testifies in Epstein Case, Denies Ever Harming Anyone

(Central News Agency, Washington, 10th, Combined Foreign Reports) Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified today in a closed-door hearing before U.S. lawmakers, denying that he had ever "hurt anyone." The hearing was convened to investigate his relationship with the late sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Combining reports from AFP and Reuters, Bill Gates, one of the world's wealthiest individuals and a prominent philanthropist, appeared for an interview with the U.S. House Oversight Committee to testify about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein died in 2019 in a New York jail while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking involving underage girls.

In prepared remarks released at the start of the interview, Gates stated: "I never witnessed, nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct." He said: "I never went to his island, his ranch, or his residence in Florida. I have never hurt anyone."

The House Oversight Committee requested Gates' testimony after documents released by the Justice Department raised new questions about Gates' contact with Epstein. Epstein's network of connections with prominent political and business figures and the powerful has been the subject of intense scrutiny and conspiracy theories for years.

President Donald Trump, who had a long-standing relationship with Epstein, opposed the release of these files, a move that has sparked accusations of a cover-up and has followed him through his first year back in the White House.

Gates stated he supports the release of the documents and hopes that survivors of Epstein's crimes will receive justice.

He told lawmakers that he met the business magnate in 2011 through an introduction by people he trusted in his professional and philanthropic work. He accepted the introduction because Epstein claimed he could raise billions of dollars for global health programs.

Gates said: "I remember knowing at the time that Epstein had faced legal issues, but I did not fully grasp the extent of the crimes he had committed." He stated: "I accepted the introduction without conducting the due diligence I should have."

He said that from 2011 to 2014, he had increasingly broad conversations and meetings with Epstein regarding charitable donations. However, he stated that no donation mechanism was established, no funds were raised, and their interaction ended in December 2014.

Gates stated: "I should never have met with Epstein in the first place."

Epstein's documents include a draft email from 2013 in which Epstein appears to imply he helped Gates deal with the consequences of an extramarital affair, including seeking antibiotics after a sexually transmitted infection.

Gates called the email a forgery and denied the allegations, but he acknowledged today that Epstein did possess sensitive information about his personal life, including the fact of his marital infidelity.

He accused Epstein of trying to use the information about his affair, "along with many lies he fabricated," to pressure him into resuming contact.

Gates said: "He did not succeed, but it shows some of the methods he employed to try to use his interaction with me to advance his intentions."

Merely appearing in documents related to Epstein does not constitute evidence of a crime.

Gates stated that he now understands Epstein was trying to create an "image of legitimacy" for himself by associating with reputable and powerful individuals.

He said: "If any of the time I spent with Epstein lent him any credibility, I am deeply sorry." (Editor: Li Peishan) 1150611