NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) — Survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein called out Ohio’s richest man by name last week when they pushed for justice.
Speaking on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, survivors requested more transparency and consequences for the system that allowed Epstein to sexually exploit underage girls. The speech came after the release of 33,000 pages of Epstein files, and NBC4 combed through them to investigate Epstein’s ties to Ohio.
A survivor mentioned Les Wexner, L Brands founder and the billionaire credited with New Albany’s transformation, by name during last week’s news conference. A reporter asked if any of the survivors had spoken with Wexner, referencing the financial relationship he had with Epstein from the mid-1980s until Wexner severed ties in 2007. Survivors shook their heads to indicate they did not interact with him personally, and survivor Annie Farmer stepped forward to say more.
“When people say, you know, ‘Share names,’ there are names that are very well-known, like that of Les Wexner, who everyone knows supplied an enormous amount of Epstein’s financial wealth and allowed this operation to happen,” Farmer said.
Farmer’s sister, Maria Farmer, said she was sexually assaulted by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 1996 at a home in New Albany. Maria was unable to attend the news conference, but Annie read a statement on her behalf, alleging Epstein, Maxwell and others assaulted them and “held her captive at Wexner’s estate.”
“It’s, I think, confusing to many of us why there have not been more ramifications for him (Wexner) and he’s been seen as a victim when clearly I believe there’s more to it,” Annie Farmer said.
The Farmer sisters refer to the home as Wexner’s, and the house was close to Wexner’s New Albany home. However, court records show Epstein bought the property from Wexner in 1992 and transferred it back to Wexner in 1998.
In May, Maria filed a lawsuit against the United States, alleging the FBI and Department of Justice were negligent when she brought the story of her Ohio assault to them in 1996. Wexner has long denied any involvement or knowledge of the Farmer sisters’ assault or Epstein’s other crimes.
NBC4 looked into the thousands of files released last week, although many of them were already public knowledge. They included Maxwell’s testimony that “Epstein ran New Albany” and her comments about Epstein and Wexner’s relationship, which were already public record. They also included known ledgers from the New Albany Company, missed phone calls from Wexner and his wife, Abigail, and a mention from Maxwell of a wealthy Ohio woman who was another of Epstein’s clients.
House Democrats said only about 3% of the documents released last week were new, although the files do not include any clarification as to what has been made public prior. Much of the new evidence appears to be flight records, and there is some video footage that was previously unreleased.
The new flight logs did not reveal many details about who joined Epstein on the flights, blocking out all identifiable information outside of gender and whether they were a passenger or crew member. NBC4’s review included these new documents, around 1,000 in all, but they detailed international flights that largely did not pertain to central Ohio.
Members of Congress from both parties are circulating a discharge petition that would force a floor vote on whether to require the Justice Department to release all Epstein files to Congress. At the press briefing, survivors said they may publish their own list of names in the near future. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky) said the Epstein estate will also begin producing evidence on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Wexner family did not respond to NBC4’s request for comment. Inclusion in the files and discussions about Epstein does not equate a connection with anything illegal.
