The Moscow Murders and More

Compilation Of Corruption: Les Wexner And HIs Still Unexplained Relationship With Epstein (1/2/25)

Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of L Brands, was deeply troubling and emblematic of the unchecked power wielded by wealthy elites. Wexner granted Epstein an extraordinary level of access to his personal and financial affairs, including control over hundreds of millions of dollars, a decision that has been widely criticized as reckless and inexplicable. This relationship allowed Epstein to use Wexner’s influence and resources to build the facade of a legitimate financial advisory career while facilitating his predatory behavior. The transfer of Wexner’s lavish Manhattan townhouse to Epstein under murky circumstances, allegedly for little to no payment, underscores the transactional and opaque nature of their connection. Wexner’s apparent abdication of oversight raises serious questions about his judgment and the extent to which he enabled Epstein’s crimes, even if inadvertently.

Critics argue that Wexner’s failure to fully account for his ties to Epstein reflects a broader culture of impunity among the ultra-wealthy. Wexner claimed to sever ties with Epstein in 2007 following his first conviction, yet the damage had already been done, with Epstein leveraging his connection to Wexner to gain legitimacy and expand his network of influence. Wexner’s attempts to distance himself from Epstein have done little to satisfy public scrutiny, particularly given his refusal to address key inconsistencies and unanswered questions. This relationship epitomizes how power and wealth can shield individuals from accountability, with Wexner’s role serving as a stark reminder of the ethical lapses and complicity that often enable systemic abuses.

to contact me:

bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

source:

https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/features/2022/10/25/what-jeffrey-epstein-scandal-means-to-columbus-and-les-wexner/69589703007/

Duration:: 49m
Broadcast on:: 02 Jan 2025
Audio Format:: other

Over the past 75 years, more than 10,000 chemicals have entered our food supply, but the EU allows just 300 additives. At Thrive Market, we prioritize quality, banning over 1,000 ingredients found in conventional grocery stores. Our healthy swap scanner helps you find better versions of your pantry essentials without the junk, dyes, or fillers, and everything is delivered right to your doorstep. So shop at a grocery store that actually cares about your health at thrivemarket.com/getstarted for 30% off your first order and a free $60 gift. What's up, everyone, and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles. You can't tell the Jeffrey Epstein story without talking about Les Wexner. And the fact that Les Wexner has not come under more fire here, especially in his hometown of Columbus, is pretty enlightening, and it tells you the story that you need to hear about all of these people who make pretend they care. The reality is, folks, they don't care. And these business leaders, all of these other big shots who run around each and every day, professing that they do care about their community, about people that are less fortunate than them. Well, when you talk about that, it's all fine and well, but you have to live up to that talk at some point, don't you? And these people never seem to do that. It's always a song and a dance, and then when something like this is blown up and brought public, it's always a race to see who can distance themselves from people like Wexner or Epstein the fastest. It's never about coming forward and being upfront about what you know or what you might know. It's always about avoiding the issue and making sure that they can just get kicked down the road. Today, we have an article from Columbus Monthly headline, what the Jeffrey Epstein scandal means to Columbus and retail magnate Les Wexner. This article was published by the Columbus Monthly and the author is Dave Gose. If you're looking for the quintessential Les Wexner experience, the Jefferson series might be it. Since 2014, it's featured renowned architects, best-selling authors, Oscar-nominated actresses, decorated military leaders, a former UN ambassador, and other prominent figures in media and politics. The lecture series is a passion project for Wexner, who seems to love nothing more than reveling in its heady mix of big ideas, public service, deep thinking, and philanthropy. Now, you would think that people who are going to these events who are going to be associated with a guy like Les Wexner would have a few questions about Jeffrey Epstein. But none of these people like to ask these questions, and nobody seems to want to press him, meaning Wexner, down in Columbus. On October 1, 2019, the program launched its seventh season with a typically star-studded affair. Washington Post columnist, CNN host Fareed Zacheria, a Wexner favorite making his fourth Jefferson series appearance, moderated a panel discussion on China with two former US Secretaries of State, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright. Wexner often offers introductory remarks for these lectures, and this one was no different. The 82-year-old, L. Brand's founder, refused to let the explosive Jeffrey Epstein scandal, a controversy unlike any other Wexner has faced, keep him from public appearance at one of his favorite central Ohio events. And the crazy part is, even though he wouldn't let himself be taken out of these events, you would think that the media would be a little bit more proactive here, a guy like Fareed Zacheria, Zacheria, however you pronounce the guy's name. Mr. CNN himself, no questions about Epstein, no grilling, none of that nonsense. When your whole ass network sat there for what, six years? Talking about this one sexually assaulted that one, that one sexually assaulted this one. Oh, we have it on anonymous sources. Meanwhile, you have people willing to put their names to the allegations they're making against Les Wexner, against Jeffrey Epstein, and a clown like Mr. Fareed Zacheria can't be bothered to have a big report on that though, right? But he'll go to this dinner with his boy Les Wexner. Standing before the sold-out crowd of nearly 900 at the McCoy Center for the Arts, Wexner thanked everyone for supporting the series and introduced the speakers. After he returned to his seat, Zacheria acknowledged Wexner and his wife Abigail. "I first want to thank Les Wexner, and everybody involved in putting this together," he said. "As many of you know, this whole idea and the civic engagement has been the brainchild of Les and Abigail, and I think it's just so important to have successful people in America give back to the community in this way." The crowd responded with "hardy applause." Now flip the script and think about how this guy talks on TV, how him, his network, and all these other networks talk on TV. Meanwhile, they got people like Cuomo working for him, they got people like Les Wexner running around with their other star of the show. So the hypocrisy, they lay it on thick, right? They want you to walk the walk while they just talk the talk. A guy like Les Wexner, he should be absolutely exposed for his ties to Epstein. Nobody asks him about what Virginia had to say here, nobody's asking him about what happened down in New Albany with Maria. The warm reaction revealed a lot about Columbus and its relationship with its most powerful citizen. Amid one of the darkest years of Wexner's public life, his hometown hasn't turned on him. After decades of good works, philanthropy, and civic leadership, even assorted saga of lies, extravagance, sexual assault, and impunity hasn't broken the cocoon of goodwill that surrounds him. But the saga is not done, and it says a lot about the business leaders and the leadership in general down in Columbus and Ohio as a whole. You've had multiple people come out and speak out against the Wexner's at this point. You also had the Ohio State wrestlers who came out and were very, very upset about how the Wexner's names are all over these buildings considering what went on on this campus with Dr. Richard Strauss. So the fact that the Wexner's have their names in prominent places all over the campus, all over these buildings, and all over Columbus is really just not a good look. This is the Columbus version of Les Wexner, the inspirational builder of one of the city's most important corporations, the self-made billionaire, who gives hundreds of millions of dollars away to improve his hometown, the unselfish civic statesman, who's a role model to other leaders, the visionary who built his own suburban Shangri-La in the rural flatlands of East Columbus. Are you all getting sick yet? I'm choking back the vomit as I read through this. Now this is the Epstein-Scandal version of Wexner, the careless rich guy who gave complete control of his fortune to a money manager with a sketchy history, the benefactor who gave an undeserving protege status and power, the blinker-d mentor who described his now-disgraced pal in a 2003 Vanity Fair article as very smart, a most loyal friend, and someone with excellent judgment and unusually high standards. That's what Les Wexner said about Jeffrey Epstein. You would think that some of these reporters, some of these people who are putting them up on a pedestal, carrying his paloquine around, you would think they'd have some of these questions, right? Like, what are you doing, bro? What were you and Epstein up to? Why'd you give them all that money? Why'd you guys hang out so often? And what's the deal with the accusations by Virginia? Just even in a basic form, and none of that ever happens, the whitewash just continues. In Columbus, it's hard to reconcile these two conflicting portraits. How can the same man be so savvy and so naive, so brilliant and so blind? How could Wexner, who's avoided Scandal, all his life, and is married to a tireless advocate for children and abused women, associate himself with someone who turned out to be such a questionable character, someone who was arrested in early July 2019 on sex trafficking charges? Well, that's easy, honestly. That's because all of these people like Wexner, they wrapped themselves in charitable givings so that it's armor for them when something like this is exposed later on down the road. I'm convinced of that at this point, because if these were actually just good people who wanted to help, they'd be helping. But no, they have their favorite charities, this, that, the other thing, and when all is said and done, all of the charitable work in the world does not forgive or excuse your behavior. But what they'll do is they'll have all of this charitable work, so when the time does come, they can refer to that and use that as almost a get out of jail free card. Oh, my client couldn't be involved in this. His wife works with children. As if we've never seen that before. That's called a beard, my friends. That's called a front. Columbus has been forced to grapple with these questions since then, when Wexner emerged as a central figure in the saga of Epstein, who hanged himself, allegedly, in a New York City jail cell, while facing charges he abused dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14. The topic has dominated conversations, filled social media feeds, and spawned wild speculation. It's been an oh my god moment. There's no doubt that this whole sort of affair has been one of the most eye-opening events, if you're paying attention anyway, that we've seen unfold in quite some time. And the cast of characters that litters the playing field here is pretty disturbing. And you would think that there would be more made of it, but it seems like a lot of people have motivation to make sure that this story is never really told in the truly robust manner it needs to be told. They've done everything in their power to make sure that that doesn't happen. As the Epstein scandal blotted out the sun during the summer, Columbus leaders were disturbed. "The concern was that we didn't want to be a concern," says Lisa Cordes, the CEO of United Way of Central Ohio. "He's revered and a hero to Columbus, so we are sad that he has to go through this and sad for his family. I think that's what I heard the most. He's so important to our history and our future. We just don't want it to impact our city. So really, that's what it comes down to. This shows you in a microcosm how the larger federal officials and federal government elected officials feel about Jeffrey Epstein. Oh, all of these people involved are so important to this, that or the other thing. We don't want it to impact them or us. So we'll just whitewash their involvement. Well, that shit ends and it ends today. I've had enough of the whitewashing here, okay? Bill Gates, the rest of these dudes, enough is enough. Time to be exposed. Indeed, a big public reckoning is unlikely. Columbus Monthly contacted more than two dozen local leaders in politics, business, the non-profit sector, and the civic realm, and almost all declined to talk about Wexner on the record or didn't respond to messages. Wexner also declined to be interviewed for this story. And those who did talk, were almost uniformly supportive of Wexner. So it shows you we have a lot of work to do, folks. You know, the battle is still a long way from being over, or I should say the war. We've won some battles here, right? One of few battles, Maxwell's in jail, Jean-Luc Brunel, not breathing anymore. Jeffrey Epstein, well, he's gone. So a few battles have been won, but the war is most certainly being waged still. And when you have business leaders in a place like Columbus, who know what Epstein was and know the connections he has to let Les Wexner and they still don't care, that has to be very concerning. You have to go a long way down the city's power structure to find someone willing to criticize Wexner's connections to Epstein on the record. Columbus as a whole is not okay with this, says Liliana Rivera-Bayman, an underdog candidate for Columbus City Council, whose status as a sexual assault survivor inspired her, in part, to speak out. She is concerned that the most powerful person in the city was associated with the sexual predator, wants to know more about their financial and personal relationship, and wants to hold Wexner accountable if wrongdoing is discovered. Mostly, she wants to have a loud, public conversation. So her name is Liliana Riviera-Bayman, B-A-I-M-A-N. So let's hope that Mrs. Liliana Rivera-Bayman wins this city council position. And if you're down in Columbus, you're in Ohio, you should definitely give her a look, if only for this part of her, her platform, right, holding people accountable. That's a pretty big deal. Considering nothing else gets done in DC, maybe, just maybe, we'll get a crusader someday, who decides to show up, and tell all of these people who are involved here, that the party's over and we don't care where the evidence leads. You know the whole "no one's too big for the law" nonsense we hear every day? Well, it rings hollow, doesn't it? To be sure, she's not Wexner's only public critic. There are plenty of dark takes on Wexner, especially outside of Columbus, and in the cynical, conspiracy-fueled world of social media. Oh yeah, the conspiracy-fueled world of social media. Guess what, bro? When you have a whole, like we have down in Columbus, and nobody's willing to step up, and Chigity check your boy, Les Wexner, what do you think's going to happen? A guy that that was this intimately involved with Epstein had all of his finances wrapped up with Epstein, and being incredibly accused by one of the survivors, and for him not even to be pulled in, and talk to under oath? I think that's more of a conspiracy than any of the conspiracy theories that these people talk about. But the Columbus establishment is a different story. For instance, all of Rivera-Bayman's incumbent opponents, council members Elizabeth Brown, Emmanuel Remi, Shayla Faver, and Rob Dorins declined to comment for this article. "I think they are afraid of bringing it up," Rivera-Bayman says, "So you have all of these elected officials, city officials, who are supposed to be, you know, protecting the city, safeguarding it, but they're too scared to even speak out against a bitch-ass punk like Les Wexner." Y'all gotta do better down there in Ohio, obviously. Meanwhile, Wexner's backers praise him for his integrity and accept his explanations, that he knew nothing about Epstein's sex crimes, that he's embarrassed and ashamed by his association with the disgraced financier, that he regrets ever having crossed his path. What about the fact that he's incredibly accused by Virginia? Why do people leave that out? Oh, that's right, because it doesn't fit their narrative, right? Be very careful of people who leave shit out because it doesn't fit the narrative they're trying to spend. Here's an idea. Give people all of the information, and let them make their own decision. Let them come to their own conclusions. Nobody out there needs to be dog-walked. His early trust in Epstein might baffle some of these supporters, but they sympathize with his plight. They say he's an optimist, trusting by nature, and that he can make him an easy mark for a master swindler like Epstein. Wexner deserves our support, they say, not our scorn. Wow. Imagine? I got news for you. Anyone who's pitching you that line is in the bag, probably, for Wexner and securing a bag from him, because I don't know how you could look at what Virginia has to say here and say she was telling the truth about Maxwell, but not telling the truth about Wexner. How could that make sense? How does that make sense? Well, I'll tell you, it doesn't. So you can't pick and choose what you believe here, right? It's either you believe what these survivors are saying or you don't. And for me, the proof has been in the pudding. The evidence has certainly directed us to a place where what they have told us and what they have said has not only rang true, but has been true. So why in the world would it be a lie all of a sudden, because less Wexner's involved? Less Wexner is so well respected, says Kurt Steiner, the veteran political operative and former Ohio State senior president of communications. Something like this will raise eyebrows, but it's not going to change the level of respect people have for him. Less Wexner is going to be given the benefit of the doubt. Well, he might be given the benefit of the doubt by other scumbags and other people who were not brave enough to stand up to him because they're scared of their political future being destroyed or whatever. But for the rest of us, we don't feel like that at all. And we don't feel like he should be given the benefit of the doubt. In fact, he's been given the benefit of the doubt for all of these years. Now it's time for him to come in and answer under oath some questions. Is that too difficult? Is that too big of an ask? I thought nobody was above the law. Isn't that what I hear every day on TV? Every time I have the unfortunate experience of flipping through one of those news channels? Nobody's above the law. Meanwhile, all these scumbags seem to be above the law. Those of us who knew him best know of his unwavering ethics, his moral compass, his unselfish commitment to Columbus, says Alex Fisher, the CEO of Columbus Partnership, the city's most powerful civic organization, which is chaired by Wexner. He's been one of the people in my life who's been the standard of community engagement. And I don't think anything in the summer's events have changed that. So remember, this guy's name is Alex Fisher. Okay, the CEO of the Columbus Partnership thinks that Les Wexner is a great guy. And everything that we've heard about him is just a lie. Well, Mr. Fisher, open your fucking eyes, pal. Okay, I don't know how much more clear I can be than that, right? But open your eyes. You're doing not only your your city, a disservice here, you're doing the whole nation a disservice and never mind the the women who were abused by Epstein while he was being facilitated and enabled by Wexner. So what are you even talking about here? It's all about the money, isn't it? Let's just be honest, Wexner pumps a bunch of money into your district into your community. So he's the guy who's the guy. Well, I'm here to tell you he's not just another scumbag who puts his pants on the same way we do every morning. So he shouldn't be held to some different standard. If you're a dirtbag and you're committing crimes and you're out here associating with Epstein, enabling him and in fact being pointed to as someone taking part. Well, you, my friend, need to be talked to. A divorce from Wexner isn't probable, almost imaginable. How could the city cut ties with someone who was essentially the father of modern Columbus, someone whose last name is plastered on buildings and institutions all over the town from COSI to Ohio State to nation to nationwide Children's Hospital? Well, that's all part of it. The decoupling has to happen at some point, right? So it doesn't matter. Basically what you're saying is because of his money and because of his connections, it doesn't matter that this dude has been directly implicated in taking part. If this was just as enabling, just as facilitating, that would be one thing. But we're in a different level here, right? I say it all the time. There's levels to this shit. You have people like Bill Clinton who enabled him and then you have people like Les Wexner who not only enabled but have been fingered directly as taking part. Lesson Abigail, both have earned an extraordinary reservoir of goodwill that is going to outweigh the negative fallout that he's had to endure so far, says Mike Curtin, the former state representative, and ex-associate publisher of the Columbus Dispatch. And that's because the legacy media won't go hard. They refuse to do it. They refuse to really expose Wexner for what he is. Doesn't matter that all the writings there on the wall. It doesn't matter that person after person has come out and told you all what he is. The legacy media refuses to do what they should do here and absolutely expose this clown. Speaking in early September, Curtin says that he hasn't seen any revelation so far, pointing to Wexner's culpability in Epstein's misdeeds. I believe we've seen the worst of it, Curtin says. I hope we've seen the worst of it. That's what you really mean. You hope we've seen the worst of it. And Mr. Curtin, Mr. Mike Curtin, do yourself a favor and get educated, pal. Because what you know about Jeffrey Epstein, Les Wexner, and what they were up to wouldn't even fill a thimble, okay? So do yourself a favor before you make any other public statements to make yourself look like a fool. Educate yourself, please. Yet, the Epstein saga plays on. As of late 2019, books are in the works, as is a Netflix docu-series. A movie seems inevitable, and the courts aren't through with Epstein despite his death. Federal prosecutors in New York are continuing to investigate, focusing on Epstein's former associates, and several Epstein survivors are suing as a state valued at more than $500 million. The media continues to focus on Wexner, including a major Washington Post story published in early October of 2019, that tied him and Abigail more directly to a previously alleged 1996 sexual assault in New Albany. And Wexner could end up a major figure in an Epstein-related clash of legal titans that is playing out in both the courts and media, a dispute between famed attorneys, David Boys, and Alan Dershowitz. Now, you would think that they'd mention what happened in New Albany, so since they don't want to, I will. That's when Maria was there and was held against her will as, you know, an artist and couldn't leave the estate, had to call Abigail Wexner the whole thing. But they leave that out of this? She was held there against her will. Just listen to what Maria has to tell you. She's said it a million times, and she's also offered receipts and names, but there's been no action, right? Nobody has stepped up and said, all right, we need a full-on investigation here. It's been more of the same, a shrugging of the shoulders and a whitewashing of what went down. Part two. Since Epstein's arrest in early July 2019, Wexner has been the focus of a media-feeding frenzy. No, he hasn't. Come on, stop it. A few articles here and there, a media-feeding frenzy. You know, it's been focused to a media frenzy? That has been Prince Andrew. And the way the Daily Mail and the Sun and the rest of those tabloids have pursued him is a lesson for these other publications and how they should go about their business going after people like Les Wexner. The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and more have descended on Columbus with reporters inundating Wexner's friends, former work associates, and acquaintances with phone calls. The attention, the most brutal coverage of Wexner's life, made worse by the cultural backlash that was already roiling Victoria's secret, Elbrand's signature enterprise, peaked on July 25, 2019, when The Times and the Journal simultaneously published Deep Dives on Wexner and Epstein. One Wexner friend declined to speak on the record to Columbus Monthly, fearing that public comments might lead to even more calls from reporters. "I don't have time for that," the friend says. "No, but you have time to hang out with your boy Wexner, huh? Mr. I did some real bad shit with Jeffrey Epstein. You have time for all of that, though." Thanks to all the reporting, a striking portrait of Epstein has emerged. Wexner's man in the shadows, his international moneyman of mystery, as New York Magazine dubbed him. For his only publicly known client, Epstein was more than just a financial advisor. He oversaw the construction of Wexner's 316 foot super yacht limitless. Does that sound like a guy who was just, you know, swindling his way in, or a man who was given the keys to the Ferrari? He joined the Board of Wexner's Foundation, the tycoons Charitable Arm, replacing Wexner's mother Bella who died in 2001. With the help of Wexner, Epstein became a jet-setter in his own right. He bought a corporate plane from the Limited. Even the name Elbrands, as well as the seven-floor home in New York, the largest private residence in Manhattan from Wexner. Epstein even purchased a 10,000-square-foot home, originally intended for Wexner's friend, New Albany County Chairman Jack Kessler, for $3.5 million on the grounds that surround Wexner's own mansion in New Albany. And that was where the stuff happened with Maria. But none of that gets talked about, does it? Legacy Media likes to stay away from it, sure they'll mention it. But what about the follow-up reporting? What about the dogged pursuit of the truth? Following months of scrutiny, here's a field guide to what Columbus Monthly and other outlets have learned about Epstein, Wexner, and their professional and personal relationship, as well as what questions remain unanswered. The origins. Wexner appears to have met Epstein in the mid-1980s. A source says Robert Meister, a former Aeon Insurance Executive and a friend of Wexner, introduced Wexner to Epstein, who also received endorsements from Bear Stearns CEO Jimmy Cain and his predecessor, Alan Ace Greenberg. Now, we know it was Ace Greenberg who brought Epstein in originally. Epstein was teaching at Dalton, and Ace Greenberg was, you know, parent there, kids there, whatever, and was exposed to Epstein. Epstein was brought into his orbit, and the rest is history, right? Epstein wowed him, used his charisma, and before you knew it, know it, he was often running, working for Bear Stearns with no Wall Street experience under his sleeve. Mr. Epstein represented that he had various well-known and respected individuals, both as financial clients, and in his inner circle. Wexner wrote in an August 8 statement, posted on the website of the Wexner Foundation. Based on positive reports from several friends and on my initial dealings with them, I believed I could trust him. Yeah, right, he had no other clients, you are his only known client forever. So all of a sudden he has all these clients you can rely on who can build a profile. The fact is you knew what he was, less Wexner, you're not fooling me. Still, plenty of people question Wexner's judgment from the start. Epstein, who owned his own wealth management firm after working as a Bear Stearns trader, was a college dropout and a former math teacher at a Manhattan private school with a skimpy resume despite his high profile references. So you mean to tell me that a school teacher should be in charge of all the finances of a guy like Les Wexner? Yeah, let me go get my second grade math teacher to take care of my whole portfolio. It's a weird relationship. An anonymous Wall Streeter told New York Magazine in 2002, it's just not normal for someone of such enormous wealth to all of a sudden give his money to some guy most people never even heard of. That's a fact. I've talked to plenty of people on Wall Street, old associates of mine, ex co-workers, and it's all the same story. There's no way that the cover story here tracks with any of them. It would be like walking into like Goldman Sachs and grabbing a junior banker who just, you know, came onto the floor and giving him the keys to Apollo Global. Does that make any sense? Of course it doesn't. So what was the motivating factor here that would drive Wexner into doing this? Did Epstein have something on him? Very possible. Calling Bob Maroskey. Columbus hasn't heard a lot from Wexner's former top lieutenant of late, but he was a frequent interview during the aftermath of Epstein's arrest. Maroskey didn't return Columbus monthly calls, but he did speak to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and others, delivering some of the most biting comments about Epstein and Wexner. I tried to find out how did he get from a high school math teacher to a private investment advisor? The former chief financial officer and vice chairman told the Times, "There was nothing there." Epstein's connections apparently intrigued Wexner. Maroskey said his boss told him that Epstein could introduce him to important people. Maroskey spent 15 years with the Limited before resigning in 1987. Less is an insecure guy with a big ego. He had a lot of money, but he craved respect. Maroskey told the Wall Street Journal. They played off each other's needs. And of course, we have to bring up the rumors, the talk that there might have been a bit of a sexual connection between the two. We've heard that from a lot of sources. Now I can't confirm that. I can't deny it either though. That is the scuttle butt out there. There is talk that that played a part in the way Wexner was with Epstein. Now is that true? I don't know. So I'll leave it up to you to decide what you think. Power of Attorney Many observers have zeroed in on Wexner's decision to grant Epstein power of attorney in 1991, allowing him to borrow money, write checks, buy real estate, and more on his behalf. A power of attorney agreement is common in that context. Wexner wrote in his August 8th statement, pointing out that it gave him more time to focus on his business and philanthropic efforts. Indeed, another wealthy central Ohio resident agrees, saying such agreements are common for a high net worth individuals with complicated finances who need help managing their assets. I've done that before. The central Ohio president says, comparing it to a professional athlete who hires a personal manager to allow him to focus on sport. Well, that's all fine and well. If you're actually hiring somebody who, you know, does this for a living? There is no record of Epstein doing anything like this. That was a jerk off at Bear Stearns, a junior banker, if that. And all of a sudden, he's Mr. Hotshot who should get the keys to the Nassau jet. Stop it. Close to home. One of the earliest reports of sexual assault committed by Epstein occurred in 1996 in his new Albany home, which he sold for $8 million in 1998. In a court affidavit and an interview with the New York Times, Maria Farmer, an artist who worked for Epstein, says he and his friend, Galaine Maxwell, the daughter of the late British press baron, Robert Maxwell, assaulted her in a bedroom in the home, twisting her nipples to the point of bruising. Fearing she was going to be raped, Farmer fled the room the Times reported. Epstein had invited Farmer to spend the summer in the home while she worked on two large-scale paintings, commissioned for the movie as good as it gets, starring Jack Nicholson. So we've talked about this story, and in fact we've heard it directly from Maria. So I urge you all to listen to what these women are saying directly to you, because they're telling you the story. Farmer told the Washington Post she owes Wexner responsible for what happened to me. She pointed to Wexner's close ties to Epstein, as well as the responsibility for a security team to monitor the property. Located on the grounds of the Wexner estate, about a half mile away from his mansion. Farmer also said Wexner's security officers, doesn't say it in the article here, but the guy's name is Randy Bowie, is what Maria said the man's name was. Security team to monitor the property, located on the grounds of the Wexner estate, about a half mile away from the mansion. Farmer also said Wexner's security officers held her against her will for about 12 hours, following the assault, until her father arrived from Kentucky to pick her up. A Wexner spokesman told The Post the Wexner's were unaware of the alleged attack. Before the recent news coverage of Ms. Farmer, Mr. and Ms. Wexner had no knowledge of her, never met her, never spoke with her, and never spoke with Mr. Epstein or anyone else about her. Well, we know that that is not the case. We know that Maria would have to call over to the Wexner's house if she wanted to leave the property. And it's all there for you to hear and download. Maria gave you the whole entire story. And it's very disturbing what she had to say. And if you're a law enforcement official or one of these people living in Columbus, you would I would think that you'd be a little bit more desirable to find out the truth rather than just to jump in with both feet here and defend somebody like Les Wexner like we see a lot of these people doing. Epstein and Victoria's Secret. Then there's Alicia Arden, a California model who's as Epstein assaulted her in a Santa Monica hotel room. Posing as a talent scout for Victoria's Secret, Epstein invited Arden to his hotel for an addition. When she arrived, he grabbed her and tried to undress her, saying he wanted to manhandle her. Arden said in an interview with The New York Times. What's more, the Times reported Wexner was told in the mid-1990s that Epstein was attempting to sell himself as a recruiter for Victoria's Secret models, according to two executives at the time. The L Brands board has hired a law firm to investigate Epstein's role with the company, though a spokeswoman has said she believed she was never employed by the company or served as an authorized representative. Well, we know that's BS. What does authorized representatives even mean? If he has power of attorney, meaning Epstein, doesn't that mean that he has the whole entire keys to every room in the castle, including L Brands and Victoria's Secret? So quit playing loose with the truth here, okay? We know what's up and we know that Epstein was in control of all of it. Mysterious money. In January 2008, Epstein transferred $47 million from his company and his own foundation to one created about a month earlier by Abigail Wexner. The transfer occurred a few months after the Wexner severed ties with Epstein following his indictment on sex charges in Florida in September of 2007. This payment raised plenty of eyebrows when the Columbus Dispatch reported it in July. Why would Abigail accept money from an accused pedophile? She and her husband just fired. And of course, this has to do with the so-called money that Epstein stole from them. I've always been very skeptical about that story, by the way. Always thought that was one of their built-in plans and plots in case Epstein never got caught. They could say, Oh, look, he stole this money from us and give them meaning the Wexner's plausible deniability. The answer came in August when less revealed that in the fall of 2007, he discovered that Epstein had taken vast sums of money from me and my family. The $47 million donation was actually a partial repayment for the misappropriated funds. Wexner said in his August 8th statement, "All of that money, every dollar, was originally Wexner family money," Wexner wrote. "I'm embarrassed that, like so many others, I was deceived by Mr. Epstein. I know now that my trust in him was grossly misplaced." Who buys that? I mean, maybe the leaders in Columbus, but who amongst you out there who's going to work today, driving to work right now with your lunch next to you in the brown paper bag believes this bullshit? Because I'm sure none of us out there listening to this podcast have the kind of money that less Wexner does, right? So none of us have the access to the information that less Wexner could access. Yet we all know the story and he doesn't. I find it very hard to believe that the smartest guy in the room is once again being juked and duked by a guy like Epstein. Very, very difficult for me to believe that. Ohio State has also been drawn into the controversy. Following Epstein's July 2019 arrest, the university discovered two gifts connected to the disgraced financier. A thousand dollars to the Wexner Center for the Arts membership fund in 1990 and two and a half million in May of 2007 to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The Athletic Center gift was done in conjunction with a matching contribution from Leslie H Wexner Charitable Fund. The money fulfilled a pledge that led to the naming of the less Wexner football complex, a surprise 70th birthday gift to less from Abigail in 2007. Yo, Ohio State needs to change this shit. The Ohio State. This is an abomination. It is absolutely an abomination that this guy's name is all over the city and all over the facility here. I mean, is that really where we're at? His name all over this place, Jeff Staley's name all over the place, Leon Black's name all over the place, and it's all about the dough. Let me spread a little more dough around. Let me get my name on some buildings. In early October of 2019, Ohio State was still reviewing its records for any other gifts from Epstein. The review is expected to finish soon. The university hasn't decided what it will do with the tarnish money, but it could donate equivalent funds to charity. Lesson Abigail Wexner have been a great community leaders and supporters of Ohio State for many years. Ohio State President Michael Drake said in a statement provided to Columbus Monthly. They have done so much to uplift both the University and the City of Columbus, and we sincerely appreciate their ongoing service and support. I continue to rely on lesson Abigail as valued partners and friends. Well, that's nice, Michael Drake. I wonder if you've ever taken the time to, you know, call the girls who've been abused by, you know, Wexner, allegedly, and talk to them because I'm guessing that they have a different opinion. What's the next chapter for Wexner and the Epstein saga? Perhaps a court date with one of the country's most famous and outspoken attorneys. Alan Dershowitz, the retired Harvard law professor, was one of the first celebrities to be accused of participating in Epstein's sex trafficking ring. The one-time member of O.J. Simpson's legal dream team is waging a scorched earth campaign in the courts and in the media to clear his name, and Wexner may be a key to his defense. Well, we know that with hindsight as our friend, that Dershowitz scorched earth has really turned out to be nothing more than a few dirty bombs that didn't work. He has not been able to stop this story from growing, and he's not been able to really provide any receipts. It's a convoluted story, but the gist is the gist of Dershowitz' argument is that he wasn't the real target of his accuser, Virginia Roberts. He was merely a stocking horse, and Roberts and her attorney, David Boyes, a fellow legal luminary who represented Al Gore during the 2000 Florida recount, were really after Wexner and his riches. For about four years, Dershowitz made this extortion claim in court filings and in media reviews. But interest has increased since Roberts filed a defamation lawsuit against Dershowitz in April of 2019, and the FBI arrested Epstein three months later. Now, we all know how it's spiraled out of control basically since then, and we all know how much evidence has been provided since then, but yet still no movement. You would think with all this evidence that's been provided, and I'm talking reams of it, folks, that there'd be a little more movement here. Dershowitz tells Columbus monthly his legal team intends to feature Wexner if a trial moves forward, which could occur in about a year. "He is one of the most critical witnesses for my trial," Dershowitz says. "Other witnesses could include Abigail and John Ziger, the Wexner family Columbus attorney. At issue is a series of phone calls and one face-to-face meeting that occurred in 2015 between Roberts lawyers and Ziger. Dershowitz says he spoke to Abigail and Ziger and both used the word "shakedown" to describe Boyes' tactics prior to the face-to-face meeting that occurred at the attorney's New York law offices in July of 2015. Now, we all know that's "Bupkiss." And we all know that the Wexners have come out and said now that that conversation never even occurred. The court proceedings could prove unpleasant for Wexner. Dershowitz and his legal team want to know what was discussed during the phone calls and the meeting. In hopes they will discover something that will undermine the claims of Roberts, potentially dragging Wexner through the mud. And I think it's significant to point out that before all of this, Dershowitz and all these people were friends, but you see how quickly Dershowitz is willing to throw people under the bus when it comes to self-preservation. That's the kind of man this is. I hate to be doing this as Dershowitz who attended Wexner's 59th birthday party in 1996 at the invitation of Epstein and taught Wexner's son Harry at Harvard. I like Leslie Wexner. He's done an enormous amount of good to the world, to the Jewish community, community, for Israel, for Harvard. But the truth has to come out. Well, the truth is, Mr. Dershowitz, nobody believes you. And you haven't come forward with any evidence. You haven't come forward with anything that makes people sit up and say, oh, well, Dershowitz, you might be telling the truth here. In fact, my friend, let's put aside all the allegations by Virginia for a moment. And let's talk about your role in securing this, this sweetheart plea deal. Who were you cajoling behind the scenes, sir? Boys didn't respond to a request for comment. But in the court affidavit, he denied the extortion claim, adding that no settlement demand was made or even discussed with Wexner or his attorney. A source close to Wexner also says there was no extortion. So again, Dershowitz hasn't even had to answer for this. Next time Sean Hannity tries Dershowitz out, maybe stupid ass Hannity can ask him some questions about this. Probably not, but you know, it would be nice. As the Epstein story and Gulf Wexner, some Columbus leaders worried the city might overreact. What if protests occurred? What if names are removed from buildings? What if the city turns its back on its most influential family? If that were to happen, the thinking goes, then the Wexner's might give up on the city. That would be the most horrible thing that would happen to Columbus, says a business leader. It's not horrible having a guy who was involved with Epstein as the top dog down there. Yo, get your shit together in Columbus, folks. And any of these politicians that come out and say shit like that, they should be voted out of office. What if it was your kid who was being abused by Epstein and his buddies? Let that ruminate for a little while. That scenario hasn't occurred. The civic leaders say Wexner remains just as engaged as ever. In early September of 2019, he joined 75 community leaders, 60 CEOs, plus public officials such as Columbus Mayor Andy Guenther and Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown for the Columbus Partnership annual two-day retreat in Boston. Hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School, the retreat featured big-picture planning, small group discussions, and high-profile guest speakers, including biographer Walter Isaacson and the New York Times Beijing bureau chief, Jane Perles. I mean, really? These are all the people that are going to go and tell you how to live your life. These are all the people that are going to be the trendsetters, the people who are going to set the laws. But yet, they can't find it in their heart to tell Les Wexner to kick fucking rocks until he explains himself. And this is why I find it so hollow and so vapid and so ridiculous. When you have people out here, oh, my democracy, this my democracy, that and nobody's even willing to stand up and hold these people responsible. So you mean to tell me you're going to fix democracy around the world when you can't even stand up to a guy like Les Wexner in your backyard? Yeah, it gives us a lot of confidence that you folks are the right ones to deal with Putin. The conversations were spirited, enthusiastic, and challenging, and for attendees say Wexner was in the middle of all of it, as always, listening intently, asking questions, learning alongside as fellow CEOs. Wexner didn't speak about Epstein, nor did anyone ask him. Okay, Jane Perles, the New York Times Beijing bureau chief, too busy. What's going on? You got too much going on over there to ask a few questions here? La Fungal. His work in the community, his work in this in his company, the work of his family, those are his loves, says a partnership member adding with a laugh. He doesn't golf. As the retreat closed, Wexner gave his traditional benediction. He thanked all for their commitment and participation, stressing that Columbus owes the success of the past decades to leaders committed to being in the room. Yeah, like you were in the room with Epstein, like you were in the room while this abuse occurred according to Virginia. Will Wexner remain in the room, or more specifically at the head of the table? Those four attendees are in agreement. He's not going anywhere. Despite his advancing age, despite the trouble that Victoria's secret, despite Epstein, it's the same less one says, I mean for real. So this story originally appeared in 2019. So think about that and everything we know now, and do you think that Les Wexner is going to remain bulletproof here? Or do you think the constant chiseling away is eventually going to bust the facade that he has built for himself? My hope is that if we continue to chip away, eventually the whole will be big enough that people will have to take a look. So we keep on keeping on folks. If you'd like to contact me, you can do that at bobbykapucci@protonmail.com. That's b-o-b-b-y-c-a-p-u-c-i@protonmail.com. You can also find me on Twitter at b-o-b-b-y underscore c-a-p-u-c-c-i. The link that we discussed can be found in the description box.