Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang has stepped down from his role leading a prominent Paris cultural centre following allegations of past financial ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which have triggered a tax investigation.
At 86, Lang is the most high-profile French figure impacted by the recent release of Epstein files by the US Department of Justice. He is best known for his influential tenure as culture minister under Socialist President François Mitterrand in the 1980s and 1990s.
Lang, who had overseen the Arab World Institute since 2013, was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry on Sunday but submitted his resignation instead. His lawyer, Laurent Merlet, told RTL radio that Lang was “deeply hurt” to leave a position he loved but acted to put the institute’s interests first. Merlet maintained that his client denies the allegations, calling them inaccurate.
The investigation, opened by financial prosecutors, focuses on Lang and his daughter, Caroline, regarding alleged “aggravated tax fraud laundering.” These accusations originate from a report made by the investigative outlet Mediapart on the relationship between the Lang family and Epstein through an offshore company in the US Virgin Islands. Specifically, Lang’s name cropped up more than 600 times in the now-released Epstein files containing records of communication from 2012 to 2019.
Such accusations arise from a report by investigative news website Mediapart on the relationship between the Lang family and Epstein via an offshore company in the US Virgin Islands. As a case note, Lang’s name was found over 600 times in the Epstein files that have been released, showing communication between 2012 and 2019. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the resignation Saturday evening and has already begun the search for a successor.
