Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Wednesday is sitting before a congressional panel to testify about his relationship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a prepared statement to the House Oversight Committee investigating the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files, Gates expressed regret for his association with Epstein and said he was “deeply sorry” if the time he spent with the disgraced financier “lent him any credibility.”
“I should never have met with Epstein in the first place,” Gates told the committee in his opening remarks during the closed-door interview, according to a copy posted by Gates online. “Based on what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the new donors he promised, it would not have justified associating with him.”
Gates, who has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, said that meeting with him “was a grave error in judgement” and put Gates’ work “at risk.” He said he didn’t witness any criminal conduct by Epstein, nor did he have any indication that Epstein was engaged in criminal activity.
“I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone,” Gates said. “While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated.”
The Microsoft founder said that, at one point, “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. As the public can now see, based on what has been released in the files, Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities—in addition to many lies that he layered on top—to pressure me to re-engage with him,” Gates said. “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.
A spokesperson for Gates told Business Insider in an email on Wednesday that the billionaire “welcomes the opportunity to appear before 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,” the spokesperson said.
Below is a copy of Gates’ full opening remarks to the House Oversight Committee:
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