Billionaire Les Wexner testified for nearly five hours on Feb. 18 about his relationship with disgraced and now deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail cell awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. He was Wexner’s former financial advisor and the two had a close relationship for years.
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released its full deposition video of Wexner on Feb. 19.
This story will be updated with key takeaways from the interview as we review it.
A spokesperson for Wexner declined to comment for this story.
Wexner answers questions about Ohio State OB-GYN Mark Landon
Wexner told questioners that he was not aware of payments made to Dr. Mark Landon, an OB-GYN at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and who documents show was being paid by Epstein.
Landon has said he did not provide medical care to Epstein but was a consultant on bio-tech investments from 2001 to 2005. Records released by the Justice Department suggest Landon was being paid $25,000 to $30,000 at a time.
A memo left for Epstein on April 11, 2005, stated: “Dr. Landon’s $25k quarterly payment is due, please approve.” Later that day, the same individual followed up with an additional memo making reference to Wexner and his wife, Abigail.
“FYI: on the Dr. Landon quarterly payments, we (NYSG) billed LHW/Abigail in advance as we have in prior years,” the memo read.
But asked by a member of Congress if he knew about the payments, Wexner responded, “Sadly I don’t.” He said he had never heard of New York Strategy Group, the Epstein money management firm for which Landon consulted.
Wexner said he did not introduce Landon and Epstein and that Landon had treated his wife, Abigail.
– Rick Rouan
Wexner calls final email to Epstein a ‘middle finger’
Four days before he pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to soliciting sex with someone younger than 18, Epstein received an email from Wexner.
“Abigail told me the response,” Wexner wrote, referring to his wife. “All I can say is I feel sorry. You violated your own number 1 rule … Always be careful.”
Epstein’s reply: “no excuse.”
When asked in the deposition about the email, Wexner said he didn’t know what prompted him to write, except that he was angry with Epstein over the financier’s actions.
“I think it was just me giving him the finger,” Wexner said.
Wexner said he was positive he didn’t have any further communications with Epstein after that exchange.
“From my point of view, he died,” Wexner said. “I didn’t even want to think about it.”
Infamous ‘Birthday Book’ note signed ‘Your friend’
When asked about his note to Epstein in the latter’s infamous “Birthday Book,” which he signed, “Your friend,” Wexner said it was the kind friendly closing he would have used for anyone, regardless of whether they were his actual friend.
“I think if I was sending a birthday note to somebody, I’d say, ‘Your friend…’ or something; I wouldn’t just sign my name,” he said. “It would be like a … ‘Yours truly,’ ‘Best,’ something like that.”
In response to a question about whether he recalled “ever drawing a pair of woman’s breasts on any correspondence with any other business associate of yours,” Wexner replied, “No.”
– Nathaniel Shuda
Donald Trump attended Victoria’s Secret fashion shows
When asked about any interactions with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein together, Wexner reported that the only time it was possible was at a Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
“I would go to some of the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. [It was] very important to the brand.” Wexner said.
Trump was at some shows, and Epstein was at some, too, Wexner said.
“Trump would always introduce himself to me, and I always thought it was kind of odd that he was at the fashion show because he had nothing to do with fashion,” Wexner said.
“So, the coincidence of them being together at an event – it could have been that, but I have no specific recollection.”
During another portion of the deposition, Wexner again was asked about Trump and whether he thought Trump and Epstein were friends.
“Would I think they were friends? No. Jeffrey Epstein held him out as a friend,” he said.
– Emily Rohozen and Rick Rouan
Wexner addresses accusations by Maria Farmer
Wexner fielded several questions about Maria Farmer, who accused Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell of sexually assaulting her during the summer of 1996 in New Albany. Farmer alleged that after the assault, Wexner’s security staff held her at the property until her father could pick her up.
A lawsuit filed by Farmer said Epstein’s Ohio property was on or near Wexner’s New Albany estate. During his testimony, Wexner said Epstein stayed at a nearby house owned by Jack Kessler, cofounder of The New Albany Co.
Wexner told the committee that he “didn’t know s—” about Farmer.
“I never met her, didn’t know she was here, didn’t know she was abused,” Wexner said.
Wexner also said he couldn’t recall how often Epstein visited his New Albany home.
“I’m sure he was in the house, but I can’t remember a specific time,” he said. “I don’t remember setting meetings with Jeffrey. Most of the business I had with him was over the phone.”
– Haley BeMiller
Wexner explains ‘Gang Stuff’ letter
One lawmaker confronted Wexner with a drafted letter Epstein apparently wrote but never sent to Wexner, in which Epstein alluded to secrets he shared with Wexner and claimed the two shared “gang stuff” for years.
Wexner said he had not seen the letter until recently and had no understanding of the references in the email, calling it “cover-your-ass psycho-babble.”
“As I read this, and I thought it was like a cover-your-ass kind of thing,” Wexner said. “This doesn’t even sound the way he speaks and just nonsense in it.”
When asked what “Gang Stuff” means, Wexner said it was Epstein’s way of referring to confidential information.
“Jeffrey is like a Brooklyn guy; in hindsight he didn’t use words like ‘have a confidential discussion’ or ‘my opinion’ or ‘this is secret or private or confidential personal things’ that lawyers or accountants might use in normal language,” Wexner said. “He would say, ‘This is gang stuff;’ this is how he talked. To me, it was just kind of funny that this Brooklyn guy would talk about gang stuff.”
– Cole Behrens
Wexner said he never lobbied Sen. Jon Husted to oppose Epstein files release
In response to questions about substantial contributions to U.S. Sen. and former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Wexner said he first met Husted when he was a state representative and continued to support him in his lieutenant governor and Senate campaigns.
However, Wexner said he never lobbied for Husted to vote against the release of the Epstein files and never lobbied to have his name redacted from the files.
– Cole Behrens
How much money did Epstein steal from Wexner?
Wexner has said for years that Epstein stole millions of dollars from him and his family before he severed ties with his former financier.
A 2019 memo assistant U.S. attorneys wrote after speaking with Wexner’s attorneys pegged the number Epstein repaid Wexner and his family at $100 million.
Wexner said during the deposition that Epstein stole “at least” $100 million.
But was that the grand total of what Epstein stole from him and his family?
“I don’t know,” Wexner said. “I don’t think I’ll ever know.”
– Rick Rouan
Prince Andrew called to offer airplane sale, purchase services
When asked about any interactions he ever had with the former Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whom U.K. authorities arrested Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public life, Wexner said he never met him but did have “one brief, like, two-sentence phone conversation.”
“To me, it’s a funny story,” Wexner said. “I said, ‘Hello.’ And he said, ‘You know, I helped my mother buy her airplane, and I know that you buy and sell airplanes, so if I could be of service with you on airplane transactions, I could help.’ And I said, ‘No, thank you; we’re covered; have a nice day’ and hung up. I just kind of laughed my ass off that the Duke of York called me.”
– Nathaniel Shuda
Wexner said he knew of a woman who accused Epstein of ‘being aggressive’ before his arrest
When asked in the deposition if Wexner had any knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities before his arrest in 2006, Wexner said his chief of staff once told him Epstein “had been accused, or a woman was suing him for, I don’t know, being aggressive.”
When Wexner called Epstein to ask about the allegations, Epstein told him that he was being “shaken down by a hooker,” Wexner said.
“And I believed him. And I think the follow up to that conversation was ‘I hope, you know, you’re not (lying to) me, because if it is, you know the party’s over.’ He said, ‘Absolutely not, do you think I’m stupid?” Wexner said.
– Nathan Hart
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What did Les Wexner say in his Epstein deposition? Key takeaways
Reporting by Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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