Nearly five hours into his deposition before the House Oversight Committee, 88-year-old Les Wexner was still talking. His attorney had heard enough.
In a whispered exchange caught on a hot mic, Wexner's lawyer delivered a message that had nothing to do with legal strategy, "I'm going to f---ing kill you if you answer another question with more than five words, okay?"
The two men laughed. The cameras kept rolling. And the House Oversight Committee released the entire thing to the public, saying the American people deserve to see the testimony "with no spin."
The hot mic moment is the headline, but the substance of what Wexner said, and what he denied, carries far more weight.
Wexner, the founder of L Brands and the man who built Victoria's Secret into a cultural institution, was one of Jeffrey Epstein's first major clients. He granted Epstein power of attorney over his wealth. He sold Epstein his Manhattan townhouse, a property later identified as one of the locations where federal authorities accused Epstein of abusing young women and girls under 18, according to Fox News.
Despite all of that, Wexner's testimony painted a picture of a man who barely knew the person he entrusted with his fortune. He told the committee he severed ties with Epstein in 2007 after learning of an investigation and discovering that Epstein had misappropriated funds from Wexner and his family. A substantial amount, he said, was returned.
His prepared framing was clean and rehearsed:
"I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide. I completely and irrevocably cut ties with Epstein nearly twenty years ago when I learned that he was an abuser, a crook, and a liar."
He then offered a claim that strains credulity for anyone familiar with how billionaires manage their inner circles:
"I don't think I ever went to lunch, or dinner, a movie or had a cup of coffee with Jeffrey."
This is a man who gave Epstein power of attorney. Not a casual acquaintance. Not a neighbor who borrowed a lawnmower. Power of attorney over his wealth. And yet, according to Wexner, the two never shared a meal.
Wexner categorically denied knowledge of Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell arranging women for prominent individuals. He denied any sexual encounters with anyone introduced by Maxwell or Epstein, or with Epstein himself. He denied sexual contact with or knowledge of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent figures in the Epstein case.
On Maria Farmer, who is said to have been abused by Epstein and Maxwell at the guesthouse on Wexner's own New Albany, Ohio, estate, Wexner was unequivocal:
"I never met her, didn't know she was here, didn't know she was abused."
Abuse allegedly occurred on his property, at a guesthouse on his estate, and he claims total ignorance. Not partial ignorance. Not "I heard something and didn't follow up." Complete, categorical denial of any awareness whatsoever.
One detail stood out for its sheer strangeness. Wexner confirmed writing a note in a birthday book to Epstein that included a drawing of breasts. The note read: "Dear Jeffrey, I wanted to get you what you want, so here it is … Your friend, Leslie."
He explained that Epstein "was a bachelor, so I drew a pair of boobs as kind of a joke, offhandedly, I would say."
For a man who claims the relationship was strictly business and that they never even shared a cup of coffee, this is a peculiar kind of joke to commit to paper.
Wexner is the fourth person to appear before the House Oversight Committee in its Epstein probe, and his testimony arrives at a moment when the investigation is accelerating. AG Pam Bondi has announced the release of all Epstein files, reportedly listing over 300 high-profile names. The DOJ has stated there was no criminal or inappropriate conduct by President Trump. And a recently uncovered FBI document from 2019 named Wexner himself as a co-conspirator.
That last detail deserves attention. Wexner testified that he has never been directly contacted by either the FBI or the Department of Justice. A 2019 FBI document names him as a co-conspirator, and yet no federal agency has ever reached out. Either the document is less significant than it sounds, or federal law enforcement spent years declining to pursue a lead on one of the wealthiest men in America.
Neither explanation is comforting.
The committee's decision to release the full deposition unedited is exactly the kind of transparency the public has demanded throughout the Epstein saga. For years, this case was synonymous with sealed documents, redacted names, and institutional silence. The powerful were protected by the very systems that were supposed to hold them accountable.
That pattern is breaking. Prince Andrew has been arrested. Files are being released. Depositions are being made public. The committee said it plainly: "The American people deserve to see the testimony for themselves—transparency matters."
Whether Wexner's testimony holds up to scrutiny is now a question for the public, not just for lawyers in a closed room. His attorney may have wanted him to keep his answers to five words or fewer. The American people will need considerably more than that.
