The French financial prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary investigation into former culture and education minister Jack Lang and his daughter after their names appeared in documents related to American financier Jeffrey Epstein. This was reported by Le Monde.
According to the financial crimes prosecutor’s office, the subject of the investigation is possible financial ties to Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes during his lifetime. Law enforcement officers are investigating whether these contacts could have been illegal and whether they amounted to “laundering of proceeds from tax fraud under aggravated circumstances.”
French media outlets say investigators are analyzing the possibility that Jack Lang may have contacted Epstein for financing or services. Particular attention is being paid to documents from an offshore company linked to the financier, which include the name of his daughter Caroline Lang. After the revelations, she resigned as head of the Independent Producers Union.
The 86-year-old politician, who has served in French governments for nearly two decades, has publicly denied any wrongdoing and insists he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. The prosecutor’s office emphasizes that the mere appearance of names in the array of documents is not an automatic confirmation of a crime.
The publication of the materials has caused a wave of political questions around Lang. He was invited to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which provides about half of the budget of the Institute of the Arab World in Paris, where he holds the position of president. Some politicians, including from the Socialist Party, urged him to think about resigning so as not to jeopardize the reputation of the institution.
The name of Jeffrey Epstein has been associated with representatives of the US political and secular elites for years. The billionaire has been repeatedly suspected of sex trafficking of minors, but for a long time he managed to avoid responsibility. In July 2019, the investigation into the financier’s case was intensified, and on July 6 he was arrested in New York State and charged with sexual assault and solicitation of minors for prostitution. That same year, Britain’s Prince Andrew stepped down from his duties and ceased public activities due to his ties to Epstein.
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell. The official version of his death was suicide. Two Bureau of Prisons employees who were supposed to monitor the prisoner that night later admitted that they did not perform proper checks, browsed the Internet, and slept during their shift. They confirmed the fact of providing false testimony and entered into a deal with prosecutors.
The financier’s friend and associate, Gileyn Maxwell, was detained in the summer of 2020. The investigation believes that she helped Epstein find girls under the age of 18, gained their trust and encouraged them to have sexual contact. On December 29, 2021, a court in New York found Gileyn Maxwell guilty of facilitating sexual abuse of minors.
