Preliminary Inquiry Opened into Jack Lang
Financial crime prosecutors in France have initiated a preliminary investigation into former Culture Minister Jack Lang concerning his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Lang, a prominent figure in French socialist governments from the 1980s through the 2000s, is under scrutiny for suspected "laundering of tax fraud proceeds."
This development follows the release of Epstein-related documents by the US Department of Justice, which detail links between the Lang family and the late American convicted sex offender.
Lang, who is currently 86 years old and serves as the head of the Arab World Institute in Paris, has denied any wrongdoing. On Saturday, he described the allegations as
"baseless".
He also told AFP that the investigation
"will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour".
Investigation Extends to Caroline Lang
Lang's daughter, Caroline Lang, aged 64, is also under investigation. Earlier in the week, she resigned from her position as head of a French film producers' union.
The former minister Jack Lang is mentioned nearly 700 times in the Epstein files and has so far resisted calls to step down as president of the Arab World Institute.
On Tuesday, Lang told broadcaster BFMTV that he was unaware of Epstein's criminal activities when they met approximately 15 years ago. Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Lang, who served as culture minister from 1981 to 1993 and later as minister of education, stated that he was introduced to Epstein by US actor-director Woody Allen.
He described Epstein as
"passionate about art, culture and cinema".
In a separate interview on Tuesday with RTL radio, Lang characterized Epstein as
"generous" and "courteous", adding:
"When I meet people I don't ask to see their criminal record."
French Foreign Minister Summons Lang
France's foreign minister has summoned Lang for discussions scheduled on Sunday.
Documents from the files, as reported by French media, indicate that Lang requested funds or favors from Epstein on multiple occasions, including the use of Epstein's car and private plane for himself and his family.
Caroline Lang's Involvement
Caroline Lang told the French news website Mediapart that she met Epstein in 2012, during which he expressed an interest in
"invest[ing] in young French and international artists".
She stated that Epstein's lawyers had established a company named Prytanee LLC, based in the US Virgin Islands. According to Mediapart, Caroline Lang held half of the shares, though she asserted that she had neither invested in the company nor received any funds from it.
An email within the Epstein files suggested she contributed her expertise in art, as reported by Mediapart. Caroline Lang admitted to the website that she had been
"incredibly naive".
Following her resignation from the Independent Production Union, she said:
"I do not want this situation to in any way harm the union."
No Implication in Sexual Crimes
The files do not indicate that either Jack Lang or his daughter were involved in Epstein's sexual offenses.
The recent release of Epstein files by the US government, which comprises millions of documents, includes names of wealthy and influential individuals worldwide. Being named in the files does not imply guilt.
Jeffrey Epstein died in prison in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
