Bill Gates Faces 3 Big Questions on His Epstein Ties

Bill Gates says he regrets every minute he spent with Jeffrey Epstein; now a House panel is poised to press him on exactly why there were so many minutes in the first place. The BBC's Gary O'Donoghue previews the Microsoft co-founder's voluntary appearance before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, which follows the release of millions of Justice Department documents in which Gates' name appears thousands of times. Gates has denied knowing about Epstein's criminal activity and rejected claims in Epstein's draft emails about him requiring treatment for STIs acquired from "sex with Russian girls," though he has admitted to past affairs with Russian women.

O'Donoghue says lawmakers will effectively have three big lines of inquiry. First: Why did Gates engage with a man already convicted of sex offenses and keep meeting with him for years? Second: How credible is Gates' claim that he didn't fully look into Epstein's background despite widely available information and their apparent repeated contact? And third: Did Epstein try to use Gates for influence or leverage, or vice versa—and what, if anything, did Epstein hold over him? "Anything's on the table," House Oversight Chair James Comer tells CNN, which notes the testimony will take place behind closed doors. Rep. Ro Khanna has said he plans to ask whether Gates ever visited Epstein's private island (Gates has publicly said no) and what he knows of his abuse of underage girls, per Politico.