Billionaire Lex Wexner tells US lawmakers he was 'naive' and 'conned' by Epstein

American billionaire businessman Lex Wexner, who is alleged to have played a key role in helping Jeffrey Epstein build his wealth, has described himself as "naive, foolish and gullible" for trusting the late sex offender.

In a statement to US lawmakers, the former CEO of Victoria's Secret lingerie brand accused Epstein of stealing "vast sums" of money from his family when working as his financial adviser.

Wexner, who was testifying before a House committee as part of its probe into the Epstein case, has denied any wrongdoing. He was described as a potential co-conspirator of Epstein's in a 2019 FBI document, but no charges were ever brought against him.

Lawmakers accused the billionaire of knowing about Epstein's crimes, but failing to stop them.

Wexner was called to speak before the House Oversight Committee and answer questions surrounding his relationship with Epstein in the wake of the release of thousands of documents related to the financier's wrongdoing.

Members of the committee travelled to Ohio, Wexner's home state, for the testimony.

Only Democratic lawmakers attended the deposition. No Republican lawmakers travelled for it, though some of their staff members did attend.

"We should be very clear that there would be no Epstein island, there'd be no Epstein plane, there'd be no money to traffic women and girls," Congressman Robert Garcia, of California, said. "Mr Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Lex Wexner."

Wexner, in his opening statement, defended those mentions by saying his relationship with Epstein was limited, and denied any knowledge of the convicted sex offender's abuse.

"I was naive, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein," he said. "He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide."

He said he was "pleased to testify" and wanted "to set the record straight". Wexner also said he had visited Epstein's private island for "a few hours" with his family.

The pair's relationship dates back to the 1980s and Wexner has said he cut ties after Epstein was accused of sexually abusing minors in Florida.

Wexner said that he later discovered Epstein "had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family", a statement he repeated in his opening remarks.

The retail magnate was identified in a 2019 FBI document as a potential "co-conspirator". A separate email also said there was "limited evidence regarding his involvement".

Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche previously said Wexner's name "appears in the files thousands of times".

Wexner's lawyers recently told the BBC: "The Assistant US Attorney told Mr Wexner's legal counsel in 2019 that Mr Wexner was being viewed as source of information about Epstein and was not a target in any respect.

"Mr Wexner co-operated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again."