By Jordan Valinsky, CNN
New York (CNN) — The Gates Foundation has launched an independent investigation into ties between the philanthropic organization and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The foundation, which provides billions of dollars in charitable donations, said in a statement Tuesday that it has “commissioned an external review to assess past foundation engagement with Epstein” and is examining its policies for “vetting and developing new philanthropic partnerships.”
Employees of the foundation were informed in March, adding that the review process will be completed in the summer. The firm didn’t comment if the results of the investigation will be made public.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news. The Gates Foundation is also laying off 500 employees in the next few years in a cost-cutting move, a change originally announced in January.
Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department, totaling more than 3 million pages, contain numerous emails between Gates and Epstein showing them coordinating meetings and discussing Gates’ philanthropic work.
Gates has reportedly apologized to Foundation staff for his ties to Epstein, calling his relationship with him “a huge mistake,” and has strongly denied the claims of personal wrongdoing, calling them “false.”
All of the documented interactions with Gates occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on prostitution-related charges.
Last year, Gates announced that he plans to distribute “virtually all” of his wealth — around $200 billion, he estimates — within the next 20 years, before shuttering the foundation on December 31, 2045.
His wife, Melinda, used to be part of the foundation, but she exited it two years ago following the couple’s high-profile divorce in 2021.
The-CNN-Wire
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