Longtime Epstein assistant paints late sex offender as master manipulator and denies knowing about his crimes
A longtime aide to Jeffrey Epstein told members of the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday morning that he had no knowledge of the late convicted sex offender’s crimes, describing him as a master manipulator who had every reason to keep them a secret from him, according to two sources familiar with the testimony.
Sources said Lesley Groff, Epstein’s former executive assistant, believed the massage appointments for Epstein with young women and girls were with massage therapists as a way to demonstrate her ignorance of Epstein’s wrongdoing.
Groff is one of the most notable members of the late financier’s inner circle to speak to Congress as part of the Epstein investigation; A ubiquitous assistant who helped manage every aspect of Epstein’s life, from appointments with women to meetings with powerful people, as evidenced in millions of Justice Department interviews. Epstein files.
She told lawmakers Tuesday that she was not sexually abused by Epstein, one of the sources said. He also said he didn’t need his job at Epstein, and both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell told Groff he shouldn’t associate with their friends and colleagues and insisted their work wasn’t his.
Groff, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight, also told members he wanted to help them and that he had been ostracized by his friends and harassed by his family since Epstein’s arrest.
Groff’s denial of any knowledge of Epstein’s crime was met with immediate condemnation from survivors. Sharlene Rochard expressed skepticism that Groff would not have known about Epstein’s crimes.
“One of the hardest parts for the survivors was that the people closest to Epstein claimed they didn’t see anything,” Rochard told CNN. “This does not align with my experience. Survivors deserve answers, not claims of ignorance.”
Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat on the panel, was skeptical of Groff’s efforts to distance himself from Epstein, telling reporters: “It’s wildly inconsistent what he claims is that he didn’t actually know Jeffrey Epstein, even though he worked for Jeffrey Epstein for 18 years.”
While Groff said he saw nothing wrong with the massages he planned for Epstein, Lynch said he questioned whether he could “justifiably and honestly claim that he saw nothing inappropriate in it.”
“He was a registered sex offender and he had to report it,” Lynch added of Epstein.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said before the interview that Groff had “invaluable” information for the panel, which conducted 14 interviews as part of the investigation.
“We look forward to asking him questions,” Comer said.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN there was no pre-agreed scope for Groff’s interview, meaning no questions or topics were limited.
Although Democrats have tried to tie President Donald Trump to Epstein, Trump has long denied allegations of sexual misconduct as well as any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Lynch noted that Groff arranged for “multiple phone calls” between Trump and Epstein before Trump became president, but did not specify when that would happen.
A source familiar said Groff did not know that any employees at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort had been to Epstein’s home.
Groff began working for Epstein in 2001. According to 2010 pay slip documentmanaging his schedule, arranging his travel and personal appointments, and acting as an intermediary with high-profile individuals. He was listed as a potential accomplice of Epstein as part of a controversial non-prosecution agreement signed with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2008.
Multiple victims who spoke to the FBI defined Groff was the first person they would call to reach Epstein and book him a massage. They said he continued his sexual abuse while receiving these massages.
In a 2021 interview with the FBI, Groff said booking a massage was “just another appointment for Epstein to make.” notes from that interview.
Email correspondence in the Epstein files also reveals that the late financier relied on Groff to book domestic and international travel for himself and numerous women.
Groff’s attorneys announced in late 2021 that he would not be charged by law enforcement, that he “never witnessed anything inappropriate or illegal,” and that he was “heartbroken” for all the victims.
Groff’s lawyer said in a previous statement to CNN that he worked for Epstein “as part of a professional staff of in-house lawyers, accountants and other office staff” and that his job included making appointments for Epstein, “taking his messages and arranging high-level meetings with CEOs, corporate executives, scientists, politicians, celebrities, charities and universities.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Nicky Robertson, Em Steck, Isabelle Khurshudyan, Sylvie Kirsch and Austin Culpepper contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at: CNN.com
