Les Wexner says he was 'naive' and 'conned' by Jeffrey Epstein in closed-door deposition

les wexner told US lawmakers he was "naive, foolish and gullible" and that Jeffrey Epstein "was a conman, " saying he had been "conned" as he opened a closed-door deposition on Wednesday before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee.

Les Wexner questioned in a marathon session

The former CEO of Victoria's Secret was questioned for over five hours about his relationship with Epstein, and in his opening remarks Wexner accused Epstein of stealing "vast sums" of money from his family when acting as his financial adviser. Wexner denied any wrongdoing and said he had no knowledge of Epstein's abuse, telling lawmakers: "I was naive, foolish and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. "

Lawmakers pressed on ties and documents

Members of the committee travelled to Wexner's home state of Ohio for the testimony, which was held behind closed doors. Only Democratic lawmakers attended the deposition; no Republican lawmakers travelled, though some Republican staff members were present. After the session, Democratic members addressed reporters and one, Representative Robert Garcia of California, said: "We should be very clear that there would be no Epstein island, there'd be no Epstein plane, there'd be no money to traffic women and girls, Mr Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was, without the support of Les Wexner. "

Wexner's denials, a family island visit and a spokesperson's statement

In the statement released at the start of the deposition, les wexner said his relationship with Epstein was limited and again denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes. A spokesperson for the 88-year-old tycoon said: "Mr Wexner honestly answered every question put to him today by the Committee. Mr Wexner reiterated that he has no knowledge of, and did not participate in, Epstein's illegal conduct. He stands by that fervently. " Wexner also said he had visited Epstein's private island for "a few hours" with his family and told the committee he was "pleased to testify" and wanted "to set the record straight. "

Wexner was described as a potential co-conspirator in a 2019 FBI document, though no charges were ever brought against him. The deposition was held as part of the House Oversight Committee's probe into the Epstein case following the release of thousands of documents related to Epstein's wrongdoing.

The deposition concluded with Democrats speaking publicly after the session; Wexner said he had been "conned" and expressed a wish to clarify his conduct as the committee pursues its inquiry.