• Les Wexner told the House Oversight Committee he was "naïve, foolish, and gullible" and was conned by Jeffrey Epstein over their decades-long relationship
• No Republican members of Congress attended the closed-door deposition in Ohio, though GOP staff were present
• Rep. Robert Garcia reacted with outrage after learning the FBI never directly contacted Wexner despite naming him a co-conspirator in internal files

COLUMBUS, OH (TDR) — Billionaire Les Wexner sat for a closed-door congressional deposition Wednesday at his New Albany, Ohio estate, telling House Oversight Committee members he was "duped by a world-class con man" and had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. But two revelations from the testimony may prove more consequential than anything the 88-year-old retail magnate said in his own defense: no Republican members of Congress showed up to question him, and the Department of Justice apparently never bothered to either.

The deposition — which stretched through Wednesday afternoon — produced sharp criticism from Democrats who questioned Wexner's credibility, uncomfortable questions about why the FBI identified Wexner as a co-conspirator in internal documents but never followed up with a direct interview, and a bipartisan accountability gap that both parties will struggle to explain.

Wexner's Defense: A Con Man's Victim

In his prepared statement to the committee, Wexner painted himself as one of Epstein's victims — financially and reputationally — rather than a knowing participant.

"I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide."

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Wexner told lawmakers he hired Epstein as a financial manager in the late 1980s after receiving recommendations from executives at Bear Stearns and a member of the Rothschild banking family. By 1991, Wexner had granted Epstein full power of attorney over his finances — a sweeping authority that allowed the former math teacher to buy and sell properties, execute deals and develop what would become the vast Wexner estate in New Albany.

"To my enormous embarrassment and regret I, like many others, was duped by a world-class con man. I cannot undo that part of my personal history even as I regret ever having met him."

Wexner claimed he "completely and irrevocably" severed ties with Epstein in 2007 after discovering Epstein had been stealing from him. An investigative memo from the newly released DOJ files indicates Wexner's attorneys told investigators in 2008 that Epstein had repaid $100 million — believed to be only a portion of what he stole.

But newly released Epstein files complicate that clean break. A 2008 email shows Wexner writing to Epstein after his Florida plea deal: "Abigail told me the result … all I can say is I feel sorry. You violated your own number 1 rule … always be careful." Epstein replied simply: "no excuse."

Democrats Express Deep Skepticism

Seven House Oversight Democrats spoke to reporters during a break in questioning, and none appeared persuaded by Wexner's account.

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"He has basically alleged that he saw no evil, heard no evil despite being in the room with Jeffrey Epstein over and over and over. And it's really just not credible."

That was Rep. Dave Min (D-CA), who added that Epstein's reputation was widely known among those in his orbit.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the committee's ranking Democrat, was blunter about the financial trail.

"There would be no Epstein island, there'd be no Epstein plane, there would be no money to traffic women and girls. Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was, without the support of Les Wexner."

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) said the pattern of Wexner's testimony grew more convenient as questioning progressed.

"The more this deposition goes on, the less Les Wexner knows about Jeffrey Epstein. There is no question in my mind, given the evidence so far, that Les Wexner knew about this and failed to stop it."

Democrats stopped short of accusing Wexner of participating in criminal activity. Wexner has never been charged with wrongdoing and did not invoke the Fifth Amendment during testimony. His spokesperson noted that a federal prosecutor told his legal counsel in 2019 that Wexner was "neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect."

The DOJ Question That Stunned the Room

Perhaps the most explosive moment came when Wexner revealed that the FBI never directly contacted him about Epstein-related matters — despite his name appearing more than 1,000 times in the Epstein files and an internal FBI document listing him as a co-conspirator.

Garcia's reaction was visceral.

"What the hell is going on? That is shameful."

FBI records show agents identified Wexner as one of nine people to approach immediately following Epstein's 2019 arrest. Documents indicate agents contacted Wexner's longtime attorneys, the Zeigers, who said they were working to secure a criminal defense attorney for Wexner in New York. Wexner's attorneys eventually met with investigators on July 25, 2019, telling agents that "the Wexners were not close with Epstein and had no knowledge of his sexual misconduct."

But released DOJ files do not indicate that Wexner was ever personally interviewed by the FBI about Epstein's crimes. Agents spoke to his lawyers instead. Wexner's spokesperson told the Columbus Dispatch that Wexner "cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again."

This raises a question that cuts across party lines: How did the Department of Justice — under both Democratic and Republican administrations — allow the man the FBI internally labeled a co-conspirator to go unquestioned for years?

Where Were the Republicans?

The absence of Republican members of Congress from the deposition drew immediate attention. No GOP lawmakers were physically present, though Republican committee staff attended.

Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) was absent due to a previously scheduled oral surgery, a source familiar with the matter told Axios. The committee has 28 Republicans and 20 Democrats, yet only Democrats traveled to Ohio.

Democrats were quick to note the optics. But a source familiar with the matter pointed out that Democrats did not attend the scheduled depositions of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Capitol Hill in January — a detail that complicates the narrative of either party holding a moral high ground on Epstein accountability.

Wexner is a significant Republican donor, contributing $250,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2025 and smaller sums to both Ohio Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted. The intersection of political donations and investigative attendance is a pattern independent observers have tracked throughout the Epstein files investigation.

What the Files Actually Show

Wexner's name appears over 1,000 times in the DOJ's Epstein document release. Among the most revealing details:

Epstein's own notes about Wexner stated he "never ever, did anything without informing Les" and "I would never give him up." A draft letter described the two as having "gang stuff" for over 15 years with mutual financial obligations.

An FBI report from 2011 documented that someone — whose statements overlap with those made by prominent Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre — claimed to have provided "an erotic massage to Leslie Wexner in New York." In a 2016 deposition, Giuffre directly identified Wexner as one of the men Epstein trafficked her to. Wexner has repeatedly denied this allegation and says he never met Giuffre.

A 2020 FBI tip from a woman whose identity is redacted stated that Wexner "would have models who could not have been over 18 years old do private viewings for him and Epstein" wearing swimsuits or lingerie. Wexner's spokesperson called this claim "false."

In Wednesday's deposition, Wexner testified that he was on Epstein's island, Little Saint James, for only one hour on a single occasion with his family. He also said Epstein never presented him with women for sexual purposes and that he never saw President Donald Trump having sexual relations with any person introduced by Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, according to a person familiar with the matter.

What Comes Next

The Clintons are expected to sit for their own closed-door depositions before the committee later this month. The bipartisan subpoenas also targeted Epstein associates Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn.

Wexner also faces a separate legal battle: a U.S. District Court judge in Ohio recently denied his motion to quash a subpoena in a lawsuit involving former Ohio State University team doctor Richard Strauss, who sexually abused at least 177 male students during a period that overlapped with Wexner's tenure as chair of the university's board of trustees.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, recently read the names of six prominent men from unredacted versions of the files on the House floor, identifying Wexner among those the FBI considered co-conspirators.

Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — who led the Republican push to release the files — has called the DOJ's handling of redactions "bigger than Watergate" and publicly challenged the department for shielding Wexner's name from documents.

With Republicans absent from the Wexner deposition and Democrats absent from the Clinton depositions, the Epstein investigation increasingly resembles the partisan dynamics it was designed to overcome — raising the question: can any congressional inquiry credibly claim to pursue accountability when each party only shows up to question the other side's allies?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from CNBC's coverage of the Wexner deposition, NBC News' reporting on Wexner's prepared testimony and DOJ co-conspirator revelations, reporting by Axios on the deposition and Republican absence and Wexner's Columbus ties, CBS News, CNN's investigative report on FBI interest in Wexner, the Associated Press via PBS NewsHour and U.S. News, local coverage by NBC4 Columbus and WOSU, reporting by NOTUS, NewsNation, and MS NOW.

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