Ohio businessman Les Wexner named as alleged ‘co-conspirator’ in Epstein files, lawyer refutes
According to WOSU, this undated image shows a man who appears to be Les Wexner, center, with Jeffrey Epstein, left. (Courtesy of U. S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
The Jeffrey Epstein-related files that were released on Tuesday revealed that Les Wexner was named as a possible “co-conspirator” in an FBI email from 2019 regarding Epstein.
One file, dated July 7, 2019, with “Co-conspirators” in the subject line, originated with a New York FBI agent, NBC 4 reported. Wexner was named in the email as one of the 10 “co-conspirators” to be contacted by the FBI.
However, Wexner’s legal representative said that the word “co-conspirator” was not accurate to the FBI’s investigation at the time. In the client’s defense, the legal representative stated that Wexner was not contacted again after providing preliminary information about Epstein.
Investigators have never publicly identified Wexner as part of any of Epstein’s criminal activity, NBC 4 reported. Even though Wexner and Epstein had a well-known financial relationship, the former cut ties with the latter after Epstein was accused of sex-related crimes in 2006 and 2007.
That hasn’t stopped protesters from mentioning Wexner’s ties to Epstein during an Ohio State University board meeting, holding signs featuring photos of them standing together.
Many people previously warned Wexner not to have anything to do with Epstein years before the latter was charged with sex abuse scandals.
Among those people was Wexner’s former financial adviser, Harold Levin, who suggested that Wexner not trust Epstein because he was a “rat.”
Instead of following Levin’s advice, Wexner hired Epstein to be Levin’s boss. Epstein allegedly got the job by telling Wexner that Levin had been stealing from Wexner. Instead of working as Epstein’s employee, Levin quit his job.
Wexner said that he did not know about Epstein’s sexual abuse and crimes.
“The Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of the Epstein investigation stated at the time that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect,” Wexner’s legal representative said in a statement. “Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”
The Ohio State University’s lawyers also defended Wexner by saying he should not be deposed in the civil case related to former university doctor Richard Strauss’s sexual abuse of several student athletes decades ago.
On Dec. 10, Ohio State lawyers filed a motion in federal court, in which they said that “none of the discovery taken to date suggests that Mr. Wexner has any specific information ‘relevant to any party’s claim or defense’ in this litigation.”
According to the motion, Wexner allegedly has no letters, text messages, emails, or documents relating to the document requests in the subpoena.
