Epstein’s billionaire backer Les Wexner is TORCHED by lawmakers as he claims ‘diabolical’ pedophile ‘conned me out of millions’

Victoria’s Secret founder Les Wexner was burned by MPs after claiming to be a victim of Jeffrey Epstein.

The billionaire sat down for private testimony with lawmakers from the House Oversight Committee at his Ohio estate on Wednesday.

In his written statement, 88-year-old Wexner flatly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes and claimed that he, too, was a victim of the pedophile financier.

‘I was naive, stupid and naive enough to trust Jeffrey Epstein. He was a fraudster. “As long as I was scammed, I did nothing wrong and I have nothing to hide,” Wexner said.

He added that Epstein was an ‘evil and master manipulator.’

“His other life, which we now know was full of unthinkable crimes, was very carefully and completely hidden from me,” Wexner wrote.

‘He knew I would never tolerate his terrible behavior. None of them are. ‘I never witnessed the aspect of Epstein’s life for which he is now infamous.’

But his claims were trashed by Democratic lawmakers during testimony this afternoon.

A man who looks like Les Wexner, in the middle, wraps his arms around Jeffrey Epstein, on the left, whose face is redacted at a social gathering in this undated photo. The image appeared on the next page from a handwritten note Wexner wrote in a book celebrating Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.

Congressman Yassamin Ansari told reporters: ‘We have heard over and over again from these victims about the name of Les Wexner and the importance of following the money…

‘The real reason Jeffrey Epstein got away with raping and abusing children, young women, boys, young men for so many years was because of the huge amounts of money he was able to obtain, which came largely from Les Wexner here in Ohio.’

Wexner spent years answering questions about his relationship with Epstein after they went into business together.

In an extraordinary move, Wexner granted power of attorney to Epstein in 1991, allowing the financier to invest and buy properties in his name.

He also gave the financier his Manhattan townhouse (the largest single-family property in the city at the time) in the 1990s for a nominal fee of $1.

Wexner is also a signatory To Epstein’s now famous 50th birthday book.

‘Dear Jeffrey, I wanted to buy you what you wanted. Here it is,’ reads the page signed by Wexner. Below the introduction of the letter was a picture of a woman’s breasts. ‘Happy birthday. “Your friend Leslie,” Wexner added.

Les Wexner’s writing in the 38-page notebook given to Jeffrey Epstein as a gift for his 50th birthday. Other contributions included were attributed to high-profile figures such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to Washington.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a fellow Democrat, also stated that Wexner was asked on Wednesday “whether Donald Trump and Epstein were in the same room and what that was like.”

President Trump and Wexner knew each other because Trump frequently attended Victoria’s Secret fashion shows.

He said Wexner claimed that he “didn’t remember exactly, but yes, he probably imagined it happening because he remembered that Donald Trump also wanted to attend the Victoria Secret fashion shows.”

“It seemed a little strange to him because Donald Trump was not interested in fashion at all,” Crockett said.

A source familiar with Tuesday’s statements told the Daily Mail that Wexner would not describe Trump and Epstein as friends and had no conversations with Trump about Epstein or between Epstein and Trump.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Democrat of Arizona, speaks at a press conference following congressional testimony in the Jefferey Epstein case of Les Wexner, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in New Albany, Ohio.

Leslie Wexner (right) and his wife Abigail tour the ‘Transfigurations’ exhibition at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, in September 2014

Representative Jasmine Crockett, Texas Democrat, speaks at a press conference following Les Wexner’s congressional testimony in the Jeffery Epstein case

Wexner’s name appears more than 1,000 times in the Epstein files, and the two had a long business relationship.

Epstein first met Wexner through a business partner around 1986.

It was a favorable time for Wexner’s financial situation. The Ohio owner had transformed a single Limited store in Columbus into a suite of 1980s mall staples: The Limited, Limited Express, Lane Bryant and Victoria’s Secret. Abercrombie & Fitch, Lerner, White Barn Candle Co. and others will follow.

Within a few years, Wexner handed over management of his vast fortune to Epstein. Documents show he gave Epstein authority over his investments, business deals and properties, and that he would help develop the then-vast Wexner estate in rural New Albany.

In one of the newly released Epstein files, the financier sent himself scathing notes about Wexner, saying: ‘I never did anything without telling Les’ and ‘I will never give up on him.’

Another document, which appeared to be a draft letter to Wexner, stated that the two had “been doing ‘gang work’ for over 15 years” and were mutually indebted to each other; Wexner helped Epstein get rich, and Epstein helped Wexner get richer.

A spokesman for Wexner said he never received the letter.

“Epstein appears to have been angered by Mr. Wexner’s refusal to meet with him years after Mr. Wexner terminated Epstein and cut off all ties with him after Mr. Wexner discovered Epstein’s theft and criminal activities,” said spokesman Tom Davies. ‘The sketch appears to fit a pattern of untrue, outlandish and misleading statements in which Epstein makes desperate attempts to perpetuate his lies and justify his abuse.’

Wexner was never charged with any crimes related to Epstein.