Les Wexner is about to face some very pointed questions on his home turf. The Columbus-born retail billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret and L Brands is scheduled to be deposed by the U.S. House Oversight Committee today in Ohio. Lawmakers plan to travel to New Albany to question the 88-year-old about his long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, whose files were recently disclosed to Congress.
The committee says it coordinated with Wexner’s legal team to shift the deposition from Washington to Ohio, although it has not released the exact location or start time. Staff had originally subpoenaed Wexner to appear at 10 a.m. in Room 2335 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill, but officials say they made alternate arrangements to accommodate scheduling and logistics, according to WOSU. Committee spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Wexner's name appears repeatedly in the trove of records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and lawmakers say FBI notes labeled him a "co-conspirator," a designation Wexner and his lawyers have disputed and for which he has not been charged. The added scrutiny that followed the unredactions helped drive the committee's decision to seek his testimony directly, according to reporting in The Guardian.
The impending deposition has already rattled some Ohio political circles. Several state and local officials quickly announced they would donate campaign contributions received from Wexner to charity. Rep. Joyce Beatty said she would redirect Wexner's donations, and other Columbus-area leaders posted similar decisions on social media. Local coverage has tracked those statements and the money involved, including reporting by 10TV.
How Wexner Shows Up in the Files
Epstein began handling significant parts of Wexner’s finances in the late 1980s. Court records and the recent document releases show that Wexner granted Epstein power of attorney, and that there were property transfers and other financial ties that drew investigators’ attention. Reporting and memos tied to the investigation also describe a disputed repayment of roughly $100 million that prosecutors say Epstein returned to Wexner after alleged misappropriations. Those threads have been laid out in coverage of the files, including a detailed rundown from Forbes.
What This Means Legally
The congressional deposition is a fact-finding exercise, not a criminal charge, but what Wexner says could still ripple into civil litigation and other investigations. A federal judge recently denied a motion to quash a subpoena seeking Wexner's testimony in a lawsuit tied to alleged sexual abuse at Ohio State, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The House Oversight Committee has said it will push ahead with a series of depositions related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell as it tries to map out how the financier built his network, according to a statement from the House Oversight Committee.
Wexner's testimony will be recorded in a written transcript that could add new documentary detail to ongoing civil and congressional probes. This story will be updated as the committee releases transcripts and additional statements.
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