Jeffrey Epstein had 'no meaningful involvement' with Wexner Foundation

Jeffrey Epstein was a “functionary” with the Wexner Foundation, but nothing more.

So says a third-party review by Columbus-based Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter Co. that was released this week by the foundation.

Epstein was a financial advisor to Les Wexner and Abigail Wexner while also serving as a trustee of their foundation from 1992 to 2007. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to two counts of soliciting prostitution and was arrested on charges of sex trafficking of underage girls in 2019. He died by suicide in prison in August.

The report, available here, says Epstein had no "meaningful involvement with the foundation while he was a trustee." He had no role in the day-to-day work of the foundation, no role in determining policy and no role in screening or selecting participants for its initiatives.

He “merely acted as a functionary executing documents and facilitating the required financial support from the Wexners,” according to the report.

The investigation reportedly included a review of more than 3,600 pages of documents in addition to interviews with past and present staff members and trustees as well as the Wexners themselves.

The report says Epstein did not make financial contributions to the Wexner Foundation, though it did note the transfer of $46 million to Abigail Wexner’s YLK Charitable Fund in 2007 and 2008, the bulk of which was subsequently transferred to the Wexner Family Charitable Fund. The Wexners have said that was a repayment of money Epstein had stolen from them.

A statement on the foundation website from President Rabbi Elka Abrahamson said she asked Abigail Wexner why they did not pursue legal action at that time against Epstein and was told that given their financial discoveries and the allegations Epstein was facing in Florida, they concluded immediate termination rather than ongoing litigation would be best.

The Kegler Brown review also “found no evidence that Epstein used his ties to the foundation to commit sexual assaults or other crimes.”

Kegler Brown had not worked with either the Wexners or the foundation prior to the report.

Both L Brands Inc. and Ohio State University initiated independent investigations into Epstein-related matters as well. Results of those have not been released.

Wexner last year said he cut his ties with Epstein in 2007. But prior to that decision there were multiple connections between them including property transactions in New Albany and New York and a $2.5 million donation from an Epstein-controlled foundation toward the 2007 naming of the Les Wexner Football Complex at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at Ohio State University.

"At some point in life we are all betrayed by friends," Wexner said at a September meeting with L Brands Inc. investors. "At the end of the day, people who have secret lives have secret lives. Because they are so good at hiding those secrets, so many people are taken advantage of. Being taken advantage of by someone who was so sick, so depraved … is something I am embarrassed I was even close to.”

The New York Times additionally reported that though he never had a role with the company, Epstein used his connections to Wexner and L Brands Inc. to portray himself as a recruiter for Victoria’s Secret.

The Epstein relationship, additional accusations of "misogyny and abuse" of models by a long-time executive and the decline in performance of the business led to this month’s sale of 55% of the lingerie brand to Sycamore Partners and to Wexner’s stepping down as L Brands CEO.