and investigations of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell. I will enter the subpoena and corresponding cover letter as exhibit one.
The committee noticed the deposition for Mr. Wexner on February 9th, 2026. I will enter the notice for this deposition as exhibit two.
The copies of the exhibits for us.
Can the witness please state his name and spell his last name for the record?
Uh Leslie L E S L I E H W E X N E R Wexner.
Thank you. My name is... Under the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's rules, you are allowed to have a counsel present to advise you during this deposition. Do you have a counsel representing you in a personal capacity present with you today?
Yes. Will counsel please identify themselves for the record?
Michael Levy of Ellerman Enzina Levy on behalf of Mr. Wexner.
Elizabeth Martin with Ellerman Enzina Levy for Mr. Wexner.
And Matthew Ziger from Ziger Sigesmund Little on behalf of Mr. Wexner.
For the record, starting with the majority staff, can the additional staff members please introduce themselves with their name, title, and affiliation?
Jasmine Crockett, Congresswoman from Phoenix, Arizona.
Uh Glenn Grothman, ranking member of the Oversight Committee.
Catherine Trapp, assistant secretary.
Thank you all. Mr. Wexner, before we begin, I would like to go over the ground rules for this deposition. The questioning will proceed in rounds. The majority will ask questions for an hour and then the minority will have an opportunity to ask questions for an hour if they choose. To the extent members have questions for the witnesses or witness, they will be propounded during their sides' respective rounds. The clock will stop if you need to confer with counsel, your counsel is speaking, and when members or staff are speaking during the opposing sides' rounds of questions. We will alternate back and forth until there are no more questions. Do you understand?
There is a court reporter taking down everything I say and everything you say to make a written record of the interview. For the record to be clear, please wait until the staffer questioning you finishes each question before you begin your answer, and the staffer will wait until you finish your response before proceeding to the next question. Further, to ensure the court reporter can properly record this deposition, please speak clearly, concisely, and slowly. Also, the court reporter cannot record nonverbal answers such as nodding or shaking your head, so it is important that you answer each question with an audible verbal answer. Do you understand?
Exhibits may be entered into the record. Majority exhibits will be identified numerically. Minority exhibits will be identified alphabetically. Do you understand?
We want you to answer our questions in the most complete and truthful manner possible, so we will take our time. If you have any questions or do not fully understand the question, please let us know. We will attempt to clarify, add context to, or rephrase our questions. We ask about specific conversations or events in the past, and you are unable to recall the exact words or details, you should testify to the substance of those conversations or events to the best of your recollection. If you recall only a part of a conversation or event, you should give us your best recollection of those events or parts of the conversations that you do recall. Do you understand?
You are required by law to answer questions from Congress truthfully. This also applies to questions posed by congressional staff in this deposition. Do you understand?
If at any time you knowingly make false statements, you could be subject to criminal prosecution including, but not limited to, perjury. Do you understand?
This includes both knowingly providing false testimony, but also stating that you do not recall or remember something when in fact you do. Do you understand?
Furthermore, you cannot tell half truths or exclude information necessary to make the statements accurate. You are required to provide all information that would make your response truthful. A deliberate failure to disclose information can constitute a false statement. Do you understand?
Is there any reason you are unable to provide truthful testimony in today's interview?
Please note, if you wish to assert a privilege over any statement today, that assertion must comply with the rules of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Pursuant to that, Committee rule 16 C1 states for the chair to consider assertions of privilege over testimony or statements, witnesses or entities must clearly state the specific privilege being asserted in the reason for the assertion on or before the scheduled date, testimony, or appearance. For the purposes of this deposition, objections must be stated concisely and in a non-argumentative and non-suggestive manner. If the witness refuses to answer a question to preserve a privilege, the committee may seek a ruling from the chair. If the chair overrules any such objection, the witness shall be ordered to answer. If the witness continues to refuse to answer a question despite being ordered to do so, the witness may be subject to sanction. Do you understand?
Ordinarily, we take a 5-minute break at the end of each hour questioning, but if you need a longer break or a break before that, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate. However, to the extent that there is a pending question, we would ask that you finish answering the question before we take a break. Do you understand?
Finally, we'll note for everyone here today that the contents of what we discuss in the deposition is confidential under the House Deposition Regulation. Under the rules, the chairman and ranking minority member shall consult before any release of testimony or transcripts including portions thereof. This means it is a violation of House and Committee rules to disclose contents of this deposition prior to its official release. For this reason, the marked exhibits that we will use today will remain with the court reporter so that they can go into the official transcript, and any copies of those exhibits will be kept at the table or returned to us when we wrap up. Can the reporter please swear in the witness?
Will you raise your right hand for me, please? Do you solemnly declare and affirm under penalty of perjury that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Do you have any questions before we begin?
I'd like a cup of hot coffee.
If you mind. No, if someone could get it, then we can go off the record.
We will both go back on the record. Another member of Congress joined. Can he please identify himself for the record?
Uh Dave Min, California's 46th.
Thank you for being here. Dave Min out of California's 46th.
Dave. Okay. I'm sorry. Min. Uh A Min. Oh. California's 46th. Yes.
The time reads 10:17, and the majority's time will begin now. Mr. Wexner, is it true that you submitted a statement to the committee this morning?
I will now enter as exhibit one the statement of Leslie H... It's exhibit three because you've ex- Oh, exhibit three, excuse me. Statement of Leslie H. Wexner submitted to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, February 18th, 2026. Mr. Wexner, let's start by briefly discussing your education and experience. Where did you attend undergraduate school?
The Ohio State University.
And what degree did you graduate with?
And I know you had a long career, but can you briefly summarize your professional career for the committee?
Well, I was raised in a very poor family, and we had no money. And I had an aunt I had, she gave me loaned me her life savings, which was $5,000, and on the understanding I could put it in the bank so it appeared that I had money, and I could borrow money from a bank, and I opened a store in 1963. And I opened a store every year for the next five or six years. And so by 1969, I had six stores. I took that company public not to raise money because it was remarkably successful. And I wanted the associates of the business to own a piece of the business. So, I gave stock to virtually everybody that worked in the stores and the back rooms and cleaning people. We just... I'm very proud of that. And then opened more stores and more stores. And figured out at one point that there was a limit to how many Limited stores I could open. So, I opened a... invented a second business called Express. And opened up more and more stores. And what the business then turned into was the largest multi-division fashion specialty business in the world. And in hindsight I kind of invented multi-store national and international store retailing. And just a remarkable... As I look back, I don't know how I did it, but probably in my lifetime I opened 10,000 stores around the world. Probably 20 different brands. So that's what I did. And that's what I did in business. So, I started to tell you what I do personally, but that's another story.
Thank you. Let's move on to your relationship with Mr. Epstein. When did you first meet Jeffrey Epstein?
Probably 35 years ago, 40 years ago. I don't remember exactly. And met him through friends.
Approximately what year would you have met him?
Probably between 80 and 85. I can't... I don't remember.
And how did you first come to meet Mr. Epstein?
Mostly by accident. I was friends with a couple, Bob and Wendy Meister. And I was in Florida. And I'd never been to Florida. They were driving me around showing me what South Florida looked like. And passed... and they showed me the Breakers Hotel. They were just driving around the driveway. And this Bob stopped the car. He said, 'There's somebody you should meet. You know, really smart, savvy guy named Jeffrey Epstein.' And so, they stopped the car. I was sitting in the backseat. I don't... They introduced me to Jeffrey and we drove off. That was about it.
So, at that time you had no knowledge of Mr. Epstein until Mr. Meister introduced you to him?
Never heard of him, never saw him, never met him.
Did Mr. Meister ever raise any concerns about Mr. Epstein?
And you meet him in Florida. What's your first impression of Mr. Epstein?
Kind of a medium dark-haired guy. I don't remember saying much more hello, shaking his hands, or maybe nodding from the backseat of the car.
What was your first impression of Mr. Epstein?
He was just a guy of medium height and with dark hair.
At that time did you have any understanding of what he did for work?
Did you understand Mr. Epstein to already be wealthy when you met him?
At this time I'd like to introduce... will be our majority exhibit four. This is a Vanity Fair article entitled 'Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Bond with Les Wexner' from 2021. The article reports on the origins of your relationship with Mr. Wexner.
You want to mark what's... It was... I'll note it here say objection for the record. I'll note it here objection... Well, then for the record here... I'm no objection. I'm not the answer. I'm noting that this... that's all.
So, in the article it says that you met Epstein sometime around 1986. Consistent with your testimony today, it says that you were introduced by Mr. Meister.
Do you agree with the article's characterization?
I don't know. I never seen the article.
