House Republicans ask Bill Gates, Leon Black to – Business News
House Republicans have requested billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black to testify earlier than Congress about their previous ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The House Oversight Committee despatched letters Tuesday asking Gates, Black and Goldman Sachs’ outgoing common counsel Kathryn Ruemmler to seem earlier than the panel because it investigates the Epstein information.
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the committee’s chairman, has already interviewed Bill and Hillary Clinton as half of the probe.
Comer stated Tuesday that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has additionally agreed to testify about his ties to Epstein.
Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, paid Jeffrey Epstein $158 million for tax and property planning providers between 2012 and 2017, in accordance to an outdoors investigation commissioned by Apollo. REUTERS
Gates not too long ago informed staff at a Gates Foundation city corridor that he had affairs with two Russian girls — together with bridge participant Mila Antonova — whereas apologizing for his previous affiliation with Epstein, in accordance to the Wall Street Journal.
Gates insisted he “did nothing illicit” and stated spending time with Epstein was “a huge mistake.”
A spokesperson for Gates informed The Post on Wednesday that the Microsoft co-founder “welcomes the opportunity to appear” earlier than the committee.
“While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work,” a rep for Gates informed The Post.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has been requested by House Republicans to testify about his previous conferences with Jeffrey Epstein as half of a congressional investigation. Getty Images
Black, the co-founder of non-public equity giant Apollo Global Management, paid Epstein $158 million for tax-planning and property advisory providers between 2012 and 2017, in accordance to an outdoors law firm employed by Apollo.
Black, who stepped down as Apollo’s chief govt in 2021, has stated he regretted his affiliation with Epstein and was unaware of his legal conduct.
“Mr. Black paid Epstein for tax and estate planning work and he had no awareness of Epstein’s criminal activity,” a spokesperson for Black informed The Post on Wednesday.
“He looks forward to answering the committee’s questions, providing additional clarity and furthering their work.”
Black and his successor, Apollo CEO Marc Rowan, have been hit this week with a proposed shareholder class-action lawsuit accusing them of deceptive buyers in regards to the firm’s dealings with Epstein.
The grievance filed in Manhattan federal courtroom alleges Apollo falsely denied in regulatory filings in 2021 and 2022 that it had executed business with Epstein, regardless that he allegedly communicated continuously with senior management about issues tied to the firm.
Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ outgoing common counsel and a former Obama White House lawyer, has stated her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was strictly skilled. AP
Rowan, who succeeded Black as chief govt in 2021, has insisted the firm by no means had a business relationship with Epstein and that his own interactions have been restricted to the financier’s tax work for Black.
“I didn’t like him for my own reasons, he wasted my time,” Rowan stated at a Bloomberg occasion Tuesday, including that “even from the grave, he’s wasting my time.”
A spokesperson for Apollo informed The Post on Wednesday: “We believe this case is without merit.”
“Neither Mr. Rowan nor anyone else at Apollo (excluding Leon Black) had either a business or personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, as was confirmed by an independent, transparent and thorough investigation in 2021,” the company rep informed The Post.
“There was no new information in the recent releases.”
Ruemmler, a former White House counsel below President Barack Obama who later turned Goldman Sachs’ common counsel, has stated her relationship with Epstein was purely skilled.
Jeffrey Epstein, seen right here with longtime affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell, died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 whereas awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking expenses. US District Court for the Southe
But emails later revealed the 2 exchanged pleasant messages and items, with Ruemmler at occasions referring to him as “Uncle Jeffrey” and “sweetie,” whilst she has insisted she had no information of any legal exercise and regrets ever figuring out him.
“Ms. Ruemmler welcomes the opportunity to appear before the Committee,” a spokesperson for Ruemmler informed The Post.
“At the time she interacted with Jeffrey Epstein, she was a practicing criminal defense attorney and shared a client with him. She has done nothing wrong and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity on his part.”
Ruemmler introduced final month that she could be stepping down as Goldman’s high lawyer later this yr. Goldman declined to remark.
Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan has stated the firm by no means had a business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and that his own interactions with the financier have been restricted to tax work tied to co-founder Leon Black. REUTERS
Epstein was a rich financier and convicted intercourse offender who moved in elite political and business circles earlier than his arrest in 2019 on federal expenses of operating a sex-trafficking ring involving underage women.
He died later that yr in a Manhattan jail whereas awaiting trial, in what authorities ruled a suicide.
Recently launched Justice Department information associated to the Epstein investigation have renewed scrutiny of his connections to highly effective figures in finance, politics and business.
The paperwork embody emails, images and different data which have prompted congressional investigators to search testimony from a number of people who beforehand interacted with him.
