WASHINGTON — Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of L Brands and former Victoria’s Secret CEO, testified before the House Oversight Committee that Jeffrey Epstein conned him out of significant money while serving as his financial adviser. ‘He was a conman,’ Wexner said. The relationship began in the 1980s and ended after Wexner learned of the misappropriation.

Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex trafficking, died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges. Wexner insisted their ties stayed strictly financial. He cut contact after Epstein’s 2008 Florida conviction for abusing minors, according to his testimony.

Committee members pressed Wexner on his role in Epstein’s rise. California Rep. Robert Garcia said Epstein ‘would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner.’ Garcia added there would have been no Epstein island, no private plane, no funds for trafficking without that backing. Wexner replied that he never knew of Epstein’s crimes and had no involvement.

Wexner admitted visiting Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands for a few hours with family. He saw no illegal activity there. The Ohio native faced the Democratic-led hearing in his home state, where only Democrats attended in person. Republican staffers were present, but no GOP lawmakers participated.

A 2019 FBI document named Wexner as a potential Epstein co-conspirator, though no charges followed. His lawyers said officials viewed him as a source of information, not a target. Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche noted Wexner’s name appears thousands of times in Epstein files, with limited evidence of involvement, according to prior statements.

The billionaire’s spokesperson told reporters after the hearing that Wexner answered every question honestly. He reiterated having done nothing wrong. The session came amid the Oversight Committee’s probe into Epstein’s finances, following the unsealing of thousands of documents on his dealings and abuse allegations.

Epstein managed Wexner’s fortune for years, gaining power of attorney in 1991. Wexner later accused him of stealing over $46 million. He regained control of assets like a Manhattan townhouse Epstein had taken. Federal prosecutors in 2019 confirmed Epstein transferred the property to himself without Wexner’s knowledge.

Committee Democrats highlighted how Wexner’s wealth fueled Epstein’s network. Wexner countered that he cooperated fully with investigators. ‘I was naive, I trusted the wrong person, and I regret being deceived,’ he said at the hearing’s end. Lawmakers left questions open on accountability for Epstein’s enablers.

The testimony sheds light on elite circles that propelled Epstein before his 2019 arrest. Wexner, now 87, built a retail empire worth billions. L Brands sold Victoria’s Secret in 2021 amid scrutiny over Epstein ties. No criminal charges have touched Wexner.