Seven Witnesses, One Summer: Congress Calls Gates, Black, and Epstein's Inner Circle to Testify

On March 3, 2026, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer sent letters to seven individuals requesting voluntary transcribed interviews. The names read like a roll call of Epstein's most consequential relationships: a tech billionaire, an Apollo co-founder, a former White House counsel, a longtime executive assistant, a named co-conspirator, a Clinton Foundation aide, and a computer company founder.

The interviews are scheduled across three months, from mid-April to early June 2026. If they proceed as planned, they will produce the most detailed congressional record of how Epstein's network operated, who knew what, and when they knew it.

The Seven

Bill Gates agreed almost immediately. His interview is scheduled for May 19. In a statement released through a spokesperson, Gates called the committee's work "important" and said he was "glad to contribute to the public record." Gates has previously acknowledged meeting with Epstein multiple times between 2011 and 2014, including visits to Epstein's Manhattan townhouse, after Epstein's 2008 conviction. Gates has said the meetings were about philanthropy and that he regrets them.

Leon Black is scheduled but has not publicly commented. The Apollo Global Management co-founder paid Epstein approximately $170 million in fees between 2012 and 2017 for tax and estate planning advice. Document EFTA01071282, titled "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring," shows the granular nature of their financial relationship: asset substitutions, trust valuations, gift tax strategies, financing options. An independent review commissioned by Apollo's board in 2021 found "no evidence" that Black was involved in Epstein's criminal conduct, but the sheer scale of the payments has never been satisfactorily explained. On March 2, 2026, a securities class action was filed against Apollo, alleging that Black's Epstein relationship destroyed shareholder value. Apollo's market capitalization dropped $12 billion in the days following.

Kathryn Ruemmler is scheduled for May 12. Ruemmler served as White House Counsel under President Obama from 2011 to 2014, one of the most powerful legal positions in the U.S. government. She later became Chief Legal Officer of Goldman Sachs. Her relationship with Epstein, documented extensively in the EFTA files, went far beyond professional courtesy.

EFTA00439732 shows Ruemmler coordinating a visit to "Jeffrey's home" through Lesley Groff, Epstein's assistant. But the details that emerged in January and February 2026 were far more troubling. Ruemmler reportedly called Epstein an "older brother." She received luxury handbags and a fur coat from him after his 2008 conviction. She was named as the successor trustee of Epstein's $577 million estate, a role that would have given her control over one of the largest fortunes connected to sex trafficking in American history. And phone records show that Epstein called Ruemmler from the Metropolitan Correctional Center on July 6, 2019, the day of his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. One of his first calls was to the former White House Counsel.

Ruemmler resigned from Goldman Sachs on February 12, 2026. She has not spoken publicly since.

Lesley Groff is scheduled for June 9. Groff served as Epstein's executive assistant for more than 20 years. Her name appears on thousands of documents in the EFTA files. She was the person who scheduled meetings, coordinated travel, and managed the flow of people in and out of Epstein's homes. Documents EFTA00469712 through EFTA00469758 show Groff's emails spanning years of operations. She was named as a beneficiary of a $2 million trust established by Epstein.

Groff's testimony could be the most consequential of the seven. Executive assistants know everything. They know who visited, when they visited, what was discussed, and what was kept off the books. If Groff testifies candidly, she could fill in gaps that no other witness can.

Sarah Kellen is scheduled to testify but the date has not been confirmed. Kellen was named as a co-conspirator in the original federal investigation of Epstein and received immunity under the controversial 2008 non-prosecution agreement negotiated by former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta. She is now represented by KJK, the law firm that has been aggressively seeking removal of records from public databases. Her deposition in the Giuffre v. Maxwell case, catalogued as document D-034, shows the extent of her involvement in scheduling and managing Epstein's activities.

Doug Band is scheduled for May 5. Band served as a close aide to President Bill Clinton and was a key intermediary between Clinton and Epstein. Document EFTA00576919 and EFTA00578972 contain emails from Band. His testimony is expected to focus on Clinton's flights on Epstein's aircraft and visits to Epstein's properties.

Ted Waitt, the founder of Gateway Computers and an Epstein associate, is scheduled for April 16. Waitt's connection to Epstein has received less public attention than the others, but his interview could shed light on the tech industry's broader relationship with Epstein's network.

Howard Lutnick Volunteers

In a separate but related development, Howard Lutnick, the current Secretary of Commerce and longtime CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, volunteered to testify before the committee. Lutnick admitted in February 2026 that he visited Epstein's private island, Little St. James, in 2012. He described the visit as brief and social, and said he saw nothing inappropriate.

EFTA00301239 places Lutnick in Epstein's orbit from a different angle: the document is an invitation to a fundraiser hosted by Lutnick for Hillary Clinton in November 2015, found in Epstein's files. The presence of the invitation suggests that Epstein was tracking Lutnick's political activities, or that someone in Epstein's circle was invited.

EFTA00173881 is more direct. The subject line reads: "RE: Expedite ARMS Reach - Howard William Lutnick - UNCLASSIFIED." The full context of the document suggests interaction between Lutnick and entities connected to Epstein's financial or legal operations.

Lutnick's decision to volunteer is strategically shrewd. By offering testimony before being asked, he controls the narrative and positions himself as cooperative. Whether that cooperation will extend to answering difficult questions remains to be seen.

The $35 Million Settlement

On the same day that Comer sent his letters, the Epstein estate's $35 million settlement with remaining claimants received preliminary approval from a federal judge. The settlement, which covers survivors who did not participate in the earlier Virgin Islands fund, is expected to receive final approval later in 2026.

The timing was not coincidental. The settlement's approval gives survivors a measure of financial resolution even as the congressional investigation opens a new front of accountability. For many survivors, the two tracks, legal compensation and public testimony, are complementary. Money addresses material harm. Testimony addresses the truth.

The Apollo Class Action

The securities class action filed against Apollo on March 2 adds a corporate accountability dimension to the congressional hearings. The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Apollo's board knew about Black's extensive financial relationship with Epstein and failed to disclose the associated risks to shareholders. The complaint cites the $170 million in payments and alleges that the relationship created "reputational and legal liabilities that materially affected the company's value."

Apollo's stock dropped 8% in the two days following the filing. The company has called the suit "meritless" and said it will "vigorously defend" against the claims. But the suit creates discovery obligations that could produce documents and testimony beyond what Congress can compel.

What the Hearings Could Reveal

Congressional testimony operates under different rules than criminal prosecution. Witnesses are not under oath in the same sense as in a courtroom, but lying to Congress is a federal crime. The transcribed interview format means that witnesses will answer questions on the record, and those transcripts will eventually become public.

The committee has signaled that it is interested in several specific areas: the flow of money between Epstein and his associates, the role of intermediaries and gatekeepers, the extent to which powerful institutions, including law firms, banks, and government agencies, facilitated Epstein's activities, and the adequacy of the 2008 non-prosecution agreement.

If all seven witnesses appear and answer questions substantively, the hearings will produce a record that rivals any previous investigation in scope. The EFTA documents provide the roadmap. The witnesses can fill in what the documents cannot: intent, knowledge, and the conversations that happened when nobody was writing things down.

The first hearing begins April 16 with Ted Waitt. By the time Lesley Groff sits down on June 9, the committee will have built a documentary record spanning two decades of Epstein's operations. What that record shows will depend on how honestly the witnesses answer and how aggressively the committee asks.

Summer 2026 will be a season of testimony. The country will be watching.