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House Oversight Committee votes to subpoena Les Wexner and others in Epstein probe

2026-01-08

The BareStory

The House Oversight Committee voted on Wednesday to issue subpoenas to billionaire Les Wexner and two former associates of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The measures, introduced by Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia, target Wexner as well as Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, who served as Epstein’s lawyer and accountant, respectively. The committee is investigating how Epstein accumulated wealth and whether prominent figures enabled his conduct.

Wexner, the founder of L Brands, employed Epstein as his financial manager from the late 1980s until 2007. While Garcia described the subpoenas as significant progress in understanding Epstein's finances, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna supported the move by stating Wexner had been named by victims. One report notes Wexner has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

During the same session, the panel approved subpoenas for businessman Neville Singham and journalist Seth Harp, following motions introduced by Rep. Luna. Luna cited a letter from former Senator Marco Rubio suggesting Singham may have violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Regarding Harp, Luna alleged that he had doxxed a Delta Force official. Garcia supported these motions, emphasizing the necessity of compromise in Congress, despite some concerns raised by other lawmakers regarding the timing.

Separately, the committee rejected a motion by Rep. Ayanna Pressley to subpoena the Department of Homeland Security for records related to a fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The legislative action comes as the Department of Justice continues to process and release thousands of documents related to its own past criminal probes into Epstein.

Left Perspective

  • The committee seeks to uncover how Jeffrey Epstein accumulated wealth and whether prominent figures enabled his conduct
  • Lawmakers cited specific allegations regarding foreign agent registration and the exposure of military personnel to justify further subpoenas
  • Proponents emphasized the necessity of bipartisan compromise to advance the committee’s work

Right Perspective

  • Reports clarify that the primary target of the new Epstein-related subpoenas has not been legally charged
  • Some lawmakers expressed hesitation regarding the specific scheduling of certain investigative motions
  • The committee declined to extend its oversight powers to specific actions involving the Department of Homeland Security

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Public access to information regarding Epstein's financial network may increase, though these congressional actions are investigative and do not currently signal new criminal charges for the individuals named.

• Oversight of specific federal law enforcement use-of-force incidents will remain limited within this committee following the formal rejection of motions to investigate a fatal shooting by an ICE agent.

• Investigations into foreign agent registration and journalist conduct may accelerate due to bipartisan compromise, as lawmakers agreed to advance inquiries despite differing political affiliations.

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