House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) on Wednesday sharply criticized Bill Gates for maintaining ties with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier's 2008 guilty plea to sex crimes, as the Microsoft co-founder testified behind closed doors about their association.
Garcia, who described Gates as cooperative during the deposition, told MS NOW that the timeline of their relationship raises serious concerns. “The fact that Mr. Gates and so many other powerful men continued to have relationships, friendships, in the case of Mr. Gates, who’s trying to get investment for his foundation, I think is really troubling,” Garcia said Wednesday afternoon.
The California Democrat added that the episode underscores a pattern of powerful individuals turning a blind eye. “It just goes to show that there’s so many powerful men and individuals who chose to look the other way or chose to ignore what Mr. Epstein was doing to continue that relationship,” he said.
Gates, who has denied any knowledge of or participation in Epstein’s crimes, voluntarily complied with the committee’s request for testimony. In his opening remarks, he stated: “At the outset, I want to state very clearly: I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.” He added, “I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated.”
Records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress last year, show multiple scheduled meetings between Gates and Epstein after the 2008 conviction. Gates has said he was introduced to Epstein in 2011, after the financier claimed he could help raise funds for Gates’s global health philanthropy. Gates testified that he cut off contact in December 2014 once he realized their discussions were a “dead end.” He acknowledged, “I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed. I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have.”
The Oversight committee has interviewed numerous business leaders and retired politicians as part of its probe into Epstein’s network. Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has subpoenaed figures including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, both of whom have denied knowledge of Epstein’s activities. Comer emphasized that Gates is not accused of wrongdoing, telling reporters ahead of the testimony, “We just want to know about his relationship with Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell. What did he see? Did he know what was going on?”
Gates’s testimony marks the fifteenth interview in the committee’s Epstein investigation. The closed-door session follows a pattern of scrutiny on high-profile associates, with Comer also targeting figures like Alan Dershowitz and former Trump attorney Michael Blanche for testimony in the ongoing probe.
Garcia’s criticism reflects broader Democratic unease about the conduct of elite figures in Epstein’s orbit, even as the investigation’s focus has drawn bipartisan interest. The ranking member’s remarks underscore the political sensitivity of the issue as the committee continues to dig into Epstein’s web of connections.
