French justice authorities have opened a new investigation
into former culture minister Jack Lang over alleged financial ties linked to
the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein the French National Financial
Prosecutor’s Office confirmed. Prosecutors say the probe targets both Lang and
his daughter Caroline Lang on suspicion of “aggravated tax fraud laundering,”
after documents in the recently released U.S. Department of Justice files
showed years of correspondence and potential financial links.
The revelations have put intense pressure on Lang a
prominent figure in French political and cultural life who served as culture
and education minister in past governments. His name reportedly appears
hundreds of times in the Epstein files raising questions about the nature of
his relationship with the disgraced financier though no criminal charges have
yet been filed. Lang denies any wrongdoing saying he welcomes the investigation
and intends to vigorously defend his reputation.
Amid the unfolding scandal Lang resigned as president of the
Arab World Institute in Paris a major cultural institution he led for years with
French foreign ministry officials saying the move was necessary to protect the
institute’s credibility pending the outcome of the inquiry. His daughter Caroline
who had ties to the arts and media industry also stepped down from her
leadership role at the French Independent Production Union after her name
appeared in the same documents.
French media outlets including Le Monde and Le Figaro reported
that the preliminary probe was triggered by evidence of intermittent
correspondence between Lang and Epstein dating from 2012 until Epstein’s death
in 2019. Prosecutors have not yet disclosed further details of their findings but
the investigation has intensified scrutiny of global figures named in the
Epstein file dump and raised fresh questions about elite networks and
accountability.
