Gates and Longtime Assistant Testify on Epstein’s Network

WASHINGTON — In a dramatic unsealing of Capitol Hill transcripts on Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee revealed that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified he may have inadvertently been in the presence of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, while adamantly maintaining that his three-year relationship with the late, convicted sex offender was strictly professional.

​The voluntary, closed-door interview—conducted earlier this month as part of Congress’s widening probe into Epstein’s high-profile network—provides the most granular look yet at how the tech billionaire navigating Epstein’s inner circle, subsequent extortion attempts, and profound personal regret.

​A ‘Strictly Professional’ Association Under Scrutiny

​During the intense questioning, Gates repeatedly asserted that he never knowingly interacted with victims, nor did he witness or participate in any sexual misconduct. However, lawmakers pushed back, noting that the committee’s investigation proved several of Epstein’s own employees were victims of his abuse.

​Faced with this timeline, Gates conceded that he recalled seeing female employees at the conclusion of a meeting aboard one of Epstein’s private aircraft, acknowledging for the first time that he could have been in the company of individuals abused by the financier.

​The committee’s renewed focus on Gates was triggered by a fresh wave of Department of Justice files released earlier this year, which prompted investigators to seek clarity on the extent of the billionaire’s ties to Epstein. Gates testified that when he first met Epstein in 2011, he was fully aware of the financier’s prior sex-offense conviction in Florida. Despite the massive red flag, Gates explained he was lured by Epstein’s boastful claims that he could leverage his network to raise billions of dollars for global health initiatives.

​”I wish I had not ignored Epstein’s bad reputation in pursuit of a philanthropic opportunity that never came to fruition,” Gates told investigators, expressing deep remorse for failing to properly weigh the moral implications of the association. He noted, however, that he deliberately drew a hard line by rejecting invitations to Epstein’s private island or purely social gatherings.

​Extortion, Affairs, and Inside Leaks

​The transcripts expose a darker, transactional layer to the relationship. Gates detailed how Epstein actively tried to weaponize information regarding the Microsoft co-founder’s personal life—specifically his extramarital affairs—to exert leverage over him.

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​According to testimony, Gates was introduced to Epstein in 2011 by Dr. Boris Nikolic, a former science advisor to Gates. The tech mogul testified he believes Nikolic leaked details of two extramarital affairs to Epstein. Following Gates’ decision to sever all communication with Epstein in 2014, Epstein allegedly retaliated by emailing a demand for reimbursement regarding expenses he had previously covered for a woman with whom Gates had an affair.

​Gates testified that he immediately flagged the email to Larry Cohen, the head of Gates Ventures, instructing him that under no circumstances would any payment be made.

​Investigators aggressively pressed Gates on whether further undisclosed affairs existed that could have left him vulnerable to blackmail. Gates and his legal team fiercely resisted the line of questioning, pointing to a series of highly graphic, unverified 2013 emails that Epstein appeared to have written to himself. Gates’ legal team argued that if other affairs existed, Epstein—who used the stream-of-consciousness notes to outline false claims that he facilitated sexual encounters and helped Gates acquire medication to conceal a sexually transmitted infection—surely would have documented them.

​Gates flatly denied ever having an STD, though he conceded he may have voiced a health anxiety to Nikolic at some point.

​The Assistant’s Account: Trump Calls and Deflections

​The committee simultaneously released the testimony of Lesley Groff, Epstein’s ubiquitous, long-serving executive assistant, who spent decades managing the logistics of his daily life. Groff painted her former employer as a “master manipulator” and maintained she had zero knowledge of his systemic sexual crimes—a defense that drew swift, fierce condemnation from Epstein survivors.

​Groff’s testimony shed light on Epstein’s broader social reach, revealing that she personally facilitated multiple phone calls over a ten-year period between Epstein and Donald Trump during his time as a private citizen. Groff claimed she was entirely blind to the contents of those conversations. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing or familiarity with Epstein’s illicit activities.

​Lawmakers also attempted to dismantle Groff’s assertions that she stopped booking “massages” for Epstein after his 2008 conviction, presenting scheduling records that contradicted her timeline. Groff defended the entries, claiming that for bookings made after his initial incarceration, she had no operational knowledge that the appointments were for massages, operating under the assumption that the women involved were independent contractors.

​The dual transcripts mark a significant milestone in the congressional oversight probe, illustrating how a web of powerful figures, administrative facilitators, and immense wealth insulated Epstein for years, even as those within his orbit now scramble to distance themselves from his legacy.