French Former Culture Minister Jack Lang Resigns Amid Epstein Tax Investigation Allegations
In a dramatic turn of events, French former Culture Minister Jack Lang has submitted his resignation as head of the prestigious Arab World Institute in Paris, following allegations of past financial ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that prompted a tax investigation. The 86-year-old Lang is the highest-profile figure in France impacted by the release of Epstein's files on January 30th.
Lang's sudden departure was precipitated by his summons to appear at the French Foreign Ministry, which oversees the Arab World Institute. However, he opted to resign rather than face scrutiny over his alleged links to Epstein. His lawyer, Laurent Merlet, claimed that Lang "put the interests of the Arab World Institute first" and denied the allegations as "inaccurate."
The allegations centered on Lang's financial dealings with an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was revealed by French investigative news website Mediapart last week. According to reports, Lang's name appears over 600 times in Epstein's files, showing intermittent correspondence between 2012 and 2019, as well as connections to his daughter Caroline.
The financial prosecutors' office announced the opening of an investigation into Lang and his daughter over "aggravated tax fraud laundering." Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has taken note of Lang's resignation and initiated the process to find a new head for the institute.
Lang's departure marks a significant setback for France, which had long been associated with Epstein's network. The French government had denied any knowledge of Lang's connections to Epstein at the time, but the revelations have raised questions about the country's handling of the scandal.
In a dramatic turn of events, French former Culture Minister Jack Lang has submitted his resignation as head of the prestigious Arab World Institute in Paris, following allegations of past financial ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that prompted a tax investigation. The 86-year-old Lang is the highest-profile figure in France impacted by the release of Epstein's files on January 30th.
Lang's sudden departure was precipitated by his summons to appear at the French Foreign Ministry, which oversees the Arab World Institute. However, he opted to resign rather than face scrutiny over his alleged links to Epstein. His lawyer, Laurent Merlet, claimed that Lang "put the interests of the Arab World Institute first" and denied the allegations as "inaccurate."
The allegations centered on Lang's financial dealings with an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was revealed by French investigative news website Mediapart last week. According to reports, Lang's name appears over 600 times in Epstein's files, showing intermittent correspondence between 2012 and 2019, as well as connections to his daughter Caroline.
The financial prosecutors' office announced the opening of an investigation into Lang and his daughter over "aggravated tax fraud laundering." Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has taken note of Lang's resignation and initiated the process to find a new head for the institute.
Lang's departure marks a significant setback for France, which had long been associated with Epstein's network. The French government had denied any knowledge of Lang's connections to Epstein at the time, but the revelations have raised questions about the country's handling of the scandal.
... Jack Lang's been in deep enough with Epstein, I'm surprised he didn't get caught sooner. It's funny how these things come out when you're about to retire or looking for a new gig 
. The fact that his daughter is also under investigation is just icing on the cake - it's like the whole family was tainted by this guy's wrongdoings 
. And now Lang just bails and leaves everyone wondering what else he might've been hiding... shady, if you ask me 
. and what about his daughter caroline? did she know about these dealings or was it all her dad's thing? we'll probably never know at this point. anyway, france is looking pretty shady right now 
. I mean, who needs a prestigious position and a fancy institute when you've got financial troubles and a dodgy past? 
At least he put the interests of the Arab World Institute first... by stepping down with dignity 
. Can't say much for France's handling of this situation though - just hoping they're not trying to sweep it under the rug 
This guy Jack Lang is like totally done! Resigned from a super important job just 'cause some people found out he had ties to that dodgy dude Jeffrey Epstein. 86 and still trying to hide his skeletons, lol. 
I mean, it's not exactly a surprise since the files were released last month and everyone's been digging into it. But still, you'd think he'd own up to it or at least try to defend himself more than just resigning without even showing up to court. Guess that's what they say about people who don't like the spotlight... 
, I'm shocked Jack Lang resigned like that over allegations... I mean, it's not like he's innocent or anything 
. And 600 times in Epstein's files? That's a whole lotta connections 
. Lang's gotta answer to this one, you know? I'm not buying that denial from his lawyer either 
. Anyway, Lang's resignation is a major bummer for France, and we all deserve to know more about what really went down in that Epstein network 
.
OMG can you believe Jack Lang is 86 years old and still trying to cover his tracks? Like, I'm sure his grandkids are like "dad's been talking to a pedo for years, no biggie" 
. Anyway, who needs a head of an institute when you've got allegations of tax fraud laundering and a name that pops up 600 times in Epstein's files? 
. Anyway, it's sad that this had to come out now when Lang is 86 years old and all... I guess you could say he was trying to avoid a public embarrassment 
. But for real, this just shows how far-reaching the corruption goes in some cases 
. What do you guys think? Should France be more transparent about their dealings with Epstein's associates? 
that it's come to this. I mean, can you believe Jack Lang, a respected figure in France, was involved with Epstein? It's like something out of a bad movie 
. And 600 times?! That's just crazy. I remember back in the day when we thought our leaders were above reproach, but I guess that's not true anymore 
. Anyway, it's good that Lang stepped down before things got any worse, I suppose. The Arab World Institute is a great institution and all, but I don't know if anyone wants to be associated with him right now 
. 600 times in Epstein's files? That's a lot of connections. But did Lang actually do anything wrong or is this just a case of being linked to someone else? 
I don't think it's fair to judge him based on the fact that his daughter is also named, but at the same time, how can we be sure she wasn't involved too? 
. It's not always black or white, is it? 