(CNN) — Billionaire Bill Gates told members of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and that Epstein attempted to use information about his personal life — including that he had been unfaithful in his marriage — to pressure Gates, according to a copy of his opening remarks obtained by CNN.
“I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” Gates said, according to his prepared remarks. “I learned Epstein had become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage. These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family.”
Gates said he was introduced to Epstein in 2011 and that the late convicted sex offender promised he could raise billions of dollars for global health. “I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed. I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have,” he told lawmakers.
Gates characterized his interactions with Epstein as “limited,” and testified that they ended altogether in December 2014.
“He admitted that he knew of Mr. Epstein’s reputation. He admitted that he knew that he [Epstein] had been convicted of sexual crimes, but ultimately, in his words, he viewed this narrow relationship as being an acceptable means to access wealthy donors,” Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury said of Gates’ testimony during a break in the questioning.
The Microsoft co-founder also alleged in his testimony that Epstein tried to use what he knew about his infidelities — “in addition to many lies that he layered on top” — to pressure him to re-engage with him after their contact had ended.
“He was unsuccessful in this effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to leverage his interactions with me to further his agenda. I should never have met with Epstein in the first place,” Gates said, according to his prepared remarks.
Meeting Epstein, he told lawmakers, marked a “grave error in judgement” on his part.
Gates’ testimony behind closed doors comes after the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files this year raised questions about his ties to the late convicted sex offender. Marking the committee’s 15th interview, Gates’ in-person appearance on Capitol Hill is one of the most high-profile appearances before congressional investigators to date.
Speaking to reporters as he arrived Wednesday, Gates said he is “glad to be here voluntarily to testify to help with the committee’s work,” adding that he will start with an opening statement.
“I hope my testimony is helpful to the work, important work of the committee to find justice for the victims,” he said.
House Oversight Chair James Comer told CNN ahead of Gates’ appearance that there were no limitations in terms of the scope of questions for the interview.
“Anything’s on the table,” the Kentucky Republican added, noting that while Gates may not be “eager” to testify, he is “willing” to speak.
At one point during questioning, however, Gates’ lawyer told lawmakers that the billionaire would not answer questions about his extramarital affairs that are not related to the Epstein case, according to a person in the room.
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, characterized Gates as being “a little bit combative” during the interview but ultimately “cooperative.”
“He is pushing back on certain things. I think you’ll see that in the transcript. But he’s answering the questions,” Garcia said.
Gates is among the many powerful figures in Epstein’s orbit – from Howard Lutnick to Bill Clinton – who have appeared in video or photos released by the Justice Department from its case files.
Comer told reporters Wednesday that he planned to ask more high-profile individuals, including Alan Dershowitz and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, to testify in July.
Gates’ relationship with Epstein under scrutiny
The oversight panel sought Gates’ voluntary cooperation after a tranche of the released documents revealed a series of graphic, unverified allegations, as well as a degree of philanthropic coordination between Gates and Epstein that was more detailed than previously known.
As CNN previously reported, the most explosive elements of the earlier document release involved two draft emails Epstein appears to have written himself in July 2013. In these stream-of-consciousness notes, riddled with typos and vitriol, Epstein appears to claim he facilitated sexual encounters for Gates and helped him obtain medication to hide a sexually transmitted infection from his wife.
It’s not clear who wrote the draft messages from 2013 saved in Epstein’s email account or whether they were ever sent, but they are addressed from Epstein to himself. Though the emails suggest at the time some sort of break in their friendship, meetings and email exchanges continued during this time.
Epstein claimed in one email he helped Gates get drugs “in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls” and “illicit trysts, with married women.” The email also references Gates asking Epstein to provide Adderall for bridge tournaments.
The other draft email alleges that Gates tearfully asked Epstein to delete messages referencing an STD, “your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda,” and to delete explicit personal details about his penis.
The allegations contained in the draft email are unverified and uncorroborated. There is no indication the message was ever shared with Gates or anyone else, and the Microsoft co-founder has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Gates was asked about draft emails, including the one that referenced an STD, during his closed-door interview, Garcia told reporters. Two sources familiar with Gates’ testimony said he pushed back on the STD allegation, and Garcia noted that Gates testified “that he felt that Mr. Epstein would write emails to himself and just say things that were not true or didn’t happen.”
Gates, Garcia said, was “very clear that he was never introduced to women or girls or anyone underage by Mr. Epstein, he made that clear multiple times, but he will continue to be asked about those emails.”
Gates has previously strongly denied the claims and a representative of Gates previously told CNN: “These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame. While Mr. Gaties acknowledges that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved. Mr. Gates never visited Epstein’s island, never attended parties with him, and had no involvement in any illegal activities associated with Epstein.”
Gates was asked about the latest documents in an interview with CNN affiliate Nine News in Australia in February.
“Apparently Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent, the email is you know, false. So I don’t know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me, you know, every minute I spent with him I regret and I, you know, apologize that I did that,” Gates said.
He added: “It’s factually true that I was only at dinners, you know, I never went to the island. I never met any women. And so, you know, the more that comes out, the more clear it’ll be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”
Gates has also previously said he regrets meeting with Epstein, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper in 2021: “It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there.”
The over 3 million pages released by the DOJ contain several hundred references to Gates, including numerous emails detailing schedules with meetings, meals, proposed phone calls, and attempts by Epstein to set up meetings with Gates. All of the documented interactions with Gates occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on prostitution-related charges, whether it was a dinner the pair shared in 2010 or a meeting in Norway in August 2012.
“I enjoyed the breakfast a lot,” Gates wrote Epstein in December 2014.
Epstein replied by saying in part, “as usual everyone liked=you alot” and concluded by inviting Gates to his private island, which Gates has maintained he never visited. There’s no indication Gates accepted the invite.
Ahead of Gates’ appearance on Capitol Hill, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, said it is “very concerning” that Gates maintained a relationship with Epstein after the late sex offender’s conviction.
“We’ve said we don’t care if you are a Republican or a Democrat or who you are. The fact that Mr. Gates still had a relationship with Mr. Epstein even after knowing about the conviction, knowing actually what he had done, I think is very concerning. So we want to know what did Mr. Gates know, who else was around in that orbit, and why Mr. Gates continued to have a relationship with Mr. Epstein,” Garcia said Tuesday.
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