Overview
- France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday it is investigating Jack and Caroline Lang on suspicion of laundering proceeds of aggravated tax fraud.
- Lang, 86, told the foreign minister he would submit his resignation at the next Arab World Institute board meeting; the ministry acknowledged the offer, began steps to appoint an interim leader, and canceled Sunday’s summons.
- Both Langs deny wrongdoing and say they welcome the investigation; Jack Lang’s lawyer said there was no movement of funds and called for a swift review.
- Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice show intermittent correspondence between Epstein and Jack Lang from 2012 to 2019, with Lang’s name appearing more than 600 times, though mentions alone do not imply criminal conduct.
- State oversight is heightened because the foreign ministry provides about €12.3 million annually—roughly half of the institute’s budget—while Caroline Lang resigned earlier this week from the Independent Production Union.