Newly released federal documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case include draft emails in which the disgraced financier alleged that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), claims that Gates’ representatives have strongly denied.
The U.S. Justice Department on Friday published millions of pages of previously sealed documents related to convicted sex offender Epstein’s criminal investigations. Among the materials were draft messages attributed to Epstein that included unverified allegations about Gates’ personal life, according to media reports.
One of the draft emails, apparently written by Epstein to himself in 2013 with the subject line “Bill,” includes a claim that Gates had contracted an STI after encounters with women identified as “Russian girls” and “married women,” and that he sought medications for the condition, according to reports based on the files. The email also referenced obtaining antibiotics for Gates’ then-wife, Melinda French Gates. It was not clear whether Epstein ever sent the draft to anyone.
The allegations in the draft are uncorroborated and lack supporting evidence in the documents. Gates’ spokesperson called the claims “absurd and completely false,” saying they reflect Epstein’s efforts to manipulate and defame after their relationship did not continue.
“The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame,” the spokesperson said in a statement obtained by People magazine.
The newly made public files, part of more than 3 million pages released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed by Congress, also contain communications and images involving other prominent figures who had varying degrees of association with Epstein. The Justice Department has said the release is meant to provide greater transparency in one of the most controversial criminal cases involving sex trafficking, although many documents remain redacted.
Gates has previously acknowledged that his meetings with Epstein — which took place after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on state charges — were a mistake. In earlier interviews, Gates expressed regret over the association and said it did not involve business dealings or a personal friendship.
The documents do not indicate that Gates has been charged with any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s crimes.