New Facts: Bill Gates Admits Meeting Epstein Was Mistake

On Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, Bill Gates sat for a closed-door interview with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Gates called meeting Epstein a “grave error in judgment,” said he “did not fully understand the extent” of Epstein’s crimes and was not aware of them at the time. He also told lawmakers Epstein sought to pressure him using knowledge of his affairs.

House Oversight Chair James Comer is leading the panel’s “Epstein files” inquiry and summoned Gates as part of that probe. Video showed Gates arriving at Capitol Hill for the session on Wednesday, as the congressional panel investigating the Epstein files convened.

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury said after the closed-door session that the committee will hear from additional witnesses and that Todd Blanche has agreed to testify. Comer said he is working to secure Blanche’s appearance before the panel.

Investigators are examining materials dubbed the “Epstein files” amid scrutiny of how the government handled information about the convicted sex offender. The New York Times reported that pressure last summer mounted on the Trump White House to release material it held on Epstein. The Independent says Gates continued to meet Epstein years after his 2008 conviction, while the BBC notes Gates has repeatedly denied wrongdoing or prior knowledge.

There is disagreement over Blanche’s role: CBS described him as “acting attorney general,” while Stansbury and New Mexico Political Report identify him as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and say he has agreed to appear. No date for Blanche’s testimony has been announced.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources