Bill Gates Agrees to Testify Before Congress on Jeffrey Epstein Ties in June

Bill Gates has agreed to sit for a closed-door transcribed interview before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on June 10, becoming one of the highest-profile figures yet to face congressional questioning as part of the panel's sweeping investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Gates's appearance was confirmed this week following a March 3 letter from the committee requesting his testimony, with a spokesperson for the Microsoft co-founder saying he "welcomes the opportunity to appear before the Committee" and that he is "looking forward to answering all the committee's questions to support their important work."

The investigation, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, has been methodically working through Epstein's network of associates, clients, and enablers since early 2025. The committee has released thousands of pages of previously sealed documents from Epstein's legal proceedings and has subpoenaed or requested testimony from dozens of individuals whose names appeared in Epstein's flight logs, phone records, and personal correspondence. Gates's name appeared thousands of times throughout the released documents, according to sources familiar with the materials, and records indicate he met with Epstein on multiple occasions after Epstein's 2008 sex-offender conviction — including at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse and, according to some accounts, traveling on Epstein's private jet.

Gates has previously acknowledged the relationship while downplaying its significance. The billionaire philanthropist has said it was "foolish" and a "mistake" to spend time with Epstein and has denied having any knowledge of or participation in Epstein's criminal conduct. His spokesperson's statement this week reiterated that Gates "never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein's illegal conduct." Gates initially met Epstein around 2011, when Epstein — then recently released from a Florida jail after serving 13 months — was actively working to rehabilitate his reputation and had reportedly pitched Gates on a philanthropic arrangement involving the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates joins a lengthy witness list for the Oversight Committee's Epstein probe. Other scheduled witnesses include billionaire Ted Waitt, who appears April 30, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, scheduled for May 6, and Lesley Groff, a former Epstein assistant, scheduled for June 9 — the day before Gates. A separate deposition of former Attorney General Pam Bondi, which had been scheduled for April 14, was postponed after the Justice Department indicated she would not testify at that time, with the committee indicating it would seek to reschedule.

The investigation has proceeded with unusual bipartisan cooperation in an otherwise deeply polarized Congress, as both Republican and Democratic members have expressed interest in fully understanding the scope of Epstein's network and how he was able to operate for so long without facing more serious consequences from law enforcement. Legal experts caution that appearing in Epstein's files or even meeting with him is not itself evidence of wrongdoing, and that the transcribed interview format — rather than public testimony — reflects the committee's approach of gathering information before determining whether further action is warranted. Gates's attorneys are expected to carefully prepare for the interview, which could probe the timing and nature of his meetings with Epstein, the nature of any financial discussions, and what, if anything, Gates knew about Epstein's ongoing criminal activities during the years they were in contact.