Maria Farmer, one of the earliest known accusers of Jeffrey Epstein, issued a pointed statement Saturday criticizing recent congressional testimony by billionaire retail magnate Les Wexner, who said he was unaware of criminal activity tied to Epstein and described himself as having been misled.
Wexner, the 88-year-old founder of L Brands, told lawmakers this week that he was "duped by a world-class con man."
He said he severed ties with Epstein in 2007 and never witnessed any abuse or other criminal conduct during their association.
Wexner was previously Epstein’s most prominent financial client and granted him sweeping control over his finances for years.
Farmer, who has long alleged that Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell sexually assaulted her in the 1990s, directly challenged Wexner’s characterization of his relationship with Epstein and his claimed lack of knowledge.
"I am glad Wexner’s deposition, this lever of power, is being used to try to achieve some accountability and justice for the many survivors whose trauma has for so long been ignored, dismissed, or discounted," Farmer wrote.
"Wexner’s reported downplaying of his relationship with Epstein is abhorrent, particularly given Maxwell’s own description of him as Epstein’s closest friend," said Farmer.
"I am also troubled by Wexner’s stated lack of knowledge about my abuse and suffering on his property," she added.
In her statement, Farmer also described alleged intimidation at Wexner’s Ohio estate.
"When I attempted to escape Wexner’s estate, I was threatened by his employees and associates, sharpshooters, guns and guard dogs, and held against my will," she wrote.
Farmer further alleged that documents were stolen from her that contained "anatomically revealing" images of girls she said she had stored "for artistic reference."
In a complaint cited in her statement, she alleged that "Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools" and later threatened to "burn her house down" if she disclosed the existence of the photographs.
Wexner has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking case, and he has maintained that he cut off contact with the disgraced financier more than a decade before Epstein’s 2019 arrest.
Epstein died in jail later that year while awaiting trial, and Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking charges.
Farmer’s latest remarks underscore the continuing scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s network of powerful associates and the lingering questions over who knew what and when about his abuse.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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