An external review commissioned by the Gates Foundation found roughly 30 meetings between Jeffrey Epstein and foundation leaders and staff, including Bill Gates, from 2011 to 2014, even though staff raised concerns about associating with Epstein because of his prior conviction. The foundation launched the review in March after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related documents that referenced Gates and showed multiple meetings. Law firm WilmerHale conducted the review over about five months, interviewing more than 50 current and former foundation personnel and reviewing extensive materials. WilmerHale found no evidence that the foundation paid Epstein, that foundation personnel participated in or knew about Epstein’s criminal activities, or that the foundation knew Epstein used its name to advance his conduct. Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein; he apologized to foundation employees at a February town-hall and in June told the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that he never witnessed or had any indication of Epstein’s ongoing criminal conduct. The review says Epstein was introduced to Gates and foundation personnel in 2011 by an adviser who held a dual role at the foundation and in Gates’s personal office.
