The U.S. House Oversight Committee released a video on Thursday of the Wednesday deposition of Ohio billionaire Les Wexner at his New Albany mansion.
Wexner was questioned for roughly five hours by Republican committee staff members and five Democratic U.S. representatives.
The interview focused on Wexner's relationship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The video can be viewed on the Oversight Committee's YouTube channel.
During the deposition, Wexner repeatedly frames Epstein as a "con man" and distances himself from Epstein. Wexner refuted the assertion that the two were friends multiple times, characterizing the relationship as professional in nature.
"I was conned by the world Olympic all-time con artist," Wexner said.
When asked, Wexner reiterated his denials that he knew anything about Epstein's crimes. Wexner also denied allegations from some of Epstein's victims that he participated in Epstein's sexual activities and abused young women.
When asked if there was anything Wexner witnessed or observed that could've tipped him off about Epstein's behavior, this is how Wexner answered:
"Absolutely not. I've asked myself that question over and over, why I didn't see... if there should've been a clue or something that I should've picked up on. There's nothing that I can recall. Not even a clue of a clue," Wexner said.
Wexner said in hindsight, he explains it to himself that Epstein was a con.
Wexner often couldn't recall specifics and answered that he couldn't remember. One example is Wexner couldn't recall how long after he met Epstein for the first time that he hired Epstein.
Wexner often went on tangents and was admonished by his lawyer multiple times for doing so. At one point late in the deposition, Wexner's lawyer Michael Levy appeared to jokingly threaten him.
"I'll f***ing kill you if you answer another question with more than five words, okay?" Levy said.
Wexner chuckled to himself before continuing to answer questions.
When asked to characterize his relationship with Epstein, Wexner said:
"I don't think I ever went to lunch or dinner, a movie or had a cup of coffee with Jeffrey," Wexner said.
"I didn't see Jeffrey as a friend, I saw Jeffrey as I see Matt, my attorney. We're friendly, but we're not friends," Wexner said.
Wexner characterized Epstein's job as being his family office manager, in which he handled family finances akin to a fiduciary, but more than what a lawyer, accountant or secretary would do.
Wexner said Epstein was essentially "dead to me" after Epstein pled guilty to charges he solicited prostitution from a minor in 2008.
One email sent in 2008 from Wexner said "Abigail told me the response... All I can say is I feel sorry. You violated your own number 1 rule … Always be careful."
Wexner described this email as "I was giving him the middle finger."
Staffers deposing Wexner questioned him further about whether he was friends with Epstein. Staffers brought up a photo of the two where Wexner is holding a champagne glass with his arm around Epstein. The photo redacts the face of another person in the image.
Wexner said the photo was taken in Bremen, Germany when he was launching his new boat. He said the person redacted in the photo was his wife, Abigail.
Wexner said he didn't recall who invited Epstein. He answered similarly when asked why Epstein was invited to birthday parties in the past.
Staffers also questioned Wexner about a letter in a birthday book organized by Epstein's partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, for Epstein's 50th birthday. A lewd birthday message in the book was signed "your friend Leslie."
"Dear Jeffrey. I wanted to get you what you want, so here it is...." Below those words is a drawn pair of breasts along with the signature: "Happy birthday your friend Leslie."
Wexner admitted that he wrote that message.
"Sadly, I did," he said.
Wexner explained that his message and the drawing were meant to be funny.
"He was a bachelor, so I drew a pair of boobs as a joke," Wexner said.
The staffers pointed out that Wexner said multiple times during the deposition that Epstein wasn't his friend.
Wexner said he didn't know why he'd write that, but reiterated that the two weren't friends.
Wexner said he and Abigail went to Epstein’s island. “Jeffrey invited us to see it.”
Wexner stated he went with Abigail and their children and stayed about an hour. He said he saw no prominent figures. “It was a pretty crummy island,” Wexner said.
Wexner said he did not see any girls or women who looked unusually young at Epstein’s properties, nor did he hear rumors about the sex trafficking. He said he didn’t recall seeing photographs or images of young women at Epstein’s properties.
Asked if he was aware if Epstein ever used planes or yachts that Wexner owned to transport women or minors, Wexner said, “Absolutely not.”
During the interview, Wexner also made denials about Epstein's involvement in his businesses and with the development of New Albany through Wexner's New Albany company.
Wexner called himself the "master developer" of the town, but downplayed Epstein's role as a co-president as being purely financial.
Wexner maintained that Epstein stole vast sums of money, something House Democrats who interviewed him allege totals up to $1 billion.
Wexner said he was appalled when he found out Epstein stole money from him. He admitted he doesn't know how much Epstein stole and didn't put an exact figure to it.
"I don't think I'll ever know," Wexner said.
Wexner was asked why he never filed charges against Epstein for stealing his money.
"At the time, I didn't know," Wexner said.
Wexner explained that he learned in his business career to let others handle problems, like his chief of staff, company lawyers and personal lawyers.
"I'm happy that today is happening because I want to help and do everything I can to nail that son of a b****," Wexner said.
Wexner concluded by saying he thought Epstein was an extremely smart person to accomplish everything he did as a criminal. Wexner said he has trouble imagining how Epstein could have done everything he did while also juggling a job.
"Diabolical isn't a big enough word," Wexner said.
Wexner said he's seen innuendo and rumors about himself and that angers him because he considers himself a "straight arrow and a very responsible person."
"It is so preposterous to me what he got away with for so long with so many people, that I can't imagine how someone could do that and be robbing banks," Wexner said.
Wexner said he doesn't know how Epstein obtained all of his wealth, but he thinks it didn't all come from his own fortune.
"Bank robbers don't rob one bank. There's more there," Wexner said.
