What happened
Bill Gates will testify before the House Oversight Committee on 10 June as part of the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s network. Committee chair James Comer sent a letter in March requesting the Microsoft co-founder’s appearance for a transcribed interview.
A spokesperson for Gates said he “welcomes the opportunity to appear before the committee” and is “looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work.”
Why it matters
Gates appears thousands of times in the Epstein files released as part of ongoing legal proceedings. He reportedly met Epstein multiple times after the financier’s 2008 conviction on sex crimes involving minors, and at one point travelled on Epstein’s private plane. Appearing in the files is not necessarily an indication of criminal wrongdoing.
The testimony will be one of the highest-profile appearances in the committee’s investigation, which has sought interviews with several prominent figures connected to Epstein.
Bondi postponed
The committee also postponed the scheduled testimony of Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was to appear on the same investigation. No new date has been announced. The postponement drew criticism from Democrats who accused the committee of protecting the administration.
What to watch
The June hearing will test whether the committee pursues substantive lines of inquiry into Epstein’s network or whether it becomes a political spectacle. Gates’s willingness to appear voluntarily distinguishes his approach from other high-profile figures who have resisted committee requests.