Overview
- Melinda French Gates told The Guardian on Saturday, June 13 that Jeffrey Epstein was “evil,” that meeting him gave her nightmares, and that “the justice system didn’t do its job,” arguing his abuse “could have been stopped.”
- She announced a $215 million commitment to women’s health programs and said more women in power and greater transparency are needed to protect victims and prevent future abuse.
- Bill Gates testified in a closed-door House Oversight Committee session days earlier, saying Epstein tried to leverage information about his extramarital affairs to pressure him and calling his meetings with Epstein a “grave error in judgment.”
- The current wave of scrutiny follows Justice Department releases earlier this year of Epstein‑related documents that prompted Congress to demand more records and to question high‑profile figures connected to Epstein.
- The public statements and testimony combine personal reckonings with institutional pressure and could push the House probe to pursue additional witnesses, disclosures, and answers for survivors seeking accountability.