Republicans Skip Les Wexner Deposition in Epstein Probe, Democrats Raise Alarms
Former retail magnate Les Wexner was deposed Wednesday by the House Oversight Committee in Ohio, and no Republican members were present for the session, multiple news outlets reported — adding a new flashpoint in the congressional probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s network.
The questioning took place at Wexner’s home in New Albany, Ohio, where Democratic lawmakers led the deposition into the billionaire’s decades-long ties with Epstein following the release of justice department files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Democrats including Reps. Robert Garcia, Stephen Lynch and Jasmine Crockett took part in closed-door questioning that, according to Democrats, highlighted gaps in Wexner’s memories and raised new lines of inquiry about how Epstein managed Wexner’s money and how deeply their relationship extended.
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Wexner repeatedly described himself as “naïve” and “conned” by Epstein, insisted he had nothing to hide and said he was never contacted by the FBI or Department of Justice despite his name appearing hundreds of times in the released files.
Rep. Stephen Lynch said afterward that the evidence suggests Wexner “knew about this and failed to stop it,” underlining the tension between Democrats leading the probe and Republican absence.
Top Democrat Robert Garcia also noted that while GOP staffers were in attendance, no Republican members of Congress sat on the committee for the deposition, a point confirmed by multiple observers.
The absence comes amid wider scrutiny over how the Epstein files were released and who in Congress will pursue follow-up questioning on key witnesses.
If Republicans continue to sit out high-profile sessions, Democrats say it could further politicize the probe; GOP leaders have not yet offered a full explanation or public comment on their absence.
The Oversight Committee is expected to continue its Epstein investigation with additional depositions in the coming weeks.
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