Former Epstein aide testifies before US house panel

Lesley Groff, the longtime assistant to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is testifying today before a U.S. House committee in a closed-door hearing related to the Epstein case.

Groff worked for Epstein from 2001 until July 2019, when he was arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking involving underage girls, CE Report quotes ANSA.

Her name appears more than 160,000 times in the millions of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of investigations into Epstein's activities and network of associates.

Despite her close working relationship with Epstein, Groff has never been charged with any crime. Her attorneys have consistently maintained that she had no knowledge of Epstein's illegal activities.

The hearing comes as lawmakers continue examining unanswered questions surrounding Epstein's operations, his associates, and the extent of any assistance he may have received from people within his circle.

In a 2005 interview with The New York Times, Epstein described Groff and his other assistants as "an extension of my brain," underscoring the level of trust he placed in them.

During the same interview, Epstein said that he had given Groff a Mercedes and had committed to paying for a full-time nanny after she became pregnant.

The closed-door testimony is expected to provide lawmakers with additional insight into Epstein's personal and professional operations during the years before his arrest. While Groff has not been accused of wrongdoing, her long tenure as one of Epstein's closest employees has made her a figure of significant interest in ongoing congressional inquiries into the disgraced financier's activities and connections.

Photo: Wikipedia