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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Bill Gates has firmly denied the “absolutely absurd and completely false” claims made by deceased serial abuser Jeffrey Epstein that he may have caught a sexually transmitted disease from “Russian girls.”
Newsweek reached out to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has now posted more than three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos tied to the Epstein investigation, the largest government release since a transparency law mandated disclosure last year, placing unverified and sensitive materials into the public domain.
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The files include emails and records involving high-profile figures, making accurate characterization of their contents and clear distinction between allegations and verified facts crucial, because just being mentioned in the release is not an indication of wrongdoing.
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What To Know
A spokesperson for Microsoft co‑founder Gates, 70, dismissed the latest allegations emerging from the newly released Epstein files—including claims that he contracted a sexually transmitted disease—as “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
The files include two draft emails dated July 18, 2013, written from Epstein’s own email address back to the same account, with no indication they were ever sent or that Gates received them.
Neither message is signed, and no email belonging to Gates appears in the material.
One draft takes the form of a resignation letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, alleging that medication had been procured for Gates “to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls.”
The other begins “dear Bill” and accuses Gates of ending a friendship, while repeating lurid claims that he concealed a sexually transmitted infection—including, allegedly, from his then‑wife, Melinda.
Gates’s spokesperson told the BBC the allegations come from “a proven, disgruntled liar” and reiterated that they are “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
The spokesperson added that the files merely reflect Epstein’s frustration at not having an ongoing relationship with Gates, “and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”
The broader release also covers Epstein’s imprisonment and death, investigative records on his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and emails with prominent individuals dating back more than a decade.
According to the DOJ, some materials included in the release contained untrue and sensationalist claims submitted to the FBI that were unfounded.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the publication “marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance.”
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Gates said: “The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”
The DOJ said in a statement: “More than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images are included in today’s additional publication. Combined with prior releases, this makes the total production nearly 3.5 million pages released in compliance with the Act.”
It added: “Through the process, the Department provided clear instructions to reviewers that the redactions were to be limited to the protection of victims and their families.
“Some pornographic images, whether commercial or not, were redacted, given the Department treated all women in those images as victims. Notable individuals and politicians were not redacted in the release of any files.
“This production may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included in the production that is responsive to the Act.
“Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”
What Happens Next
Democrats, including Representative Ro Khanna of California, have questioned why only about 3.5 million of more than six million identified pages would be released after review, signaling possible congressional scrutiny over withheld materials.
Khanna said: "This raises questions as to why the rest are being withheld."
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