France probes ex-minister Jack Lang over Epstein links

France Probes Ex-Minister Over Epstein Links

Financial crime prosecutors in France have launched a preliminary inquiry into former Culture Minister Jack Lang concerning his alleged ties to late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Lang, a prominent figure in French socialist governments during the 1980s and 1990s, is being investigated for suspected money laundering of tax fraud proceeds following the release of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice that revealed connections between Lang's family and Epstein.

At 86, Lang has denied any wrongdoing and labeled the accusations as 'baseless.' He has expressed confidence that the investigation will "shed light on the baseless accusations questioning my integrity and honor,"

Hours after the inquiry was announced, Lang offered to resign as head of the Arab World Institute, a France-Arab cultural organization. His resignation was accepted by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who is now tasked with finding a replacement.

Caroline Lang, Jack's daughter, is also under investigation and has stepped down from her role in a French film producers' union. She described herself as 'incredibly naive' after it was revealed she had contributed to Epstein's projects and admitted to feeling remorse about the situation.

The Epstein files, which include millions of documents, list many influential individuals worldwide. Mentioning someone does not imply guilt. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.