Billionaire Les Wexner’s attorney found himself increasingly exasperated as Wexner’s responses during a five-hour deposition on Wednesday seemed to stretch on endlessly.
The House Oversight Committee released video footage of Wexner’s testimony on Thursday, capturing moments where his lawyer repeatedly urged him to be more concise when discussing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Frustration reached a boiling point for attorney Michael Levy, who leaned in and whispered a stark warning to Wexner: “I will f***ing kill you if you answer another question with more than five words, okay?”
Despite the whisper, microphones at Wexner’s Ohio estate picked up Levy’s stern directive with surprising clarity during the deposition.
Wexner, aged 88 and the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, L Brands, frequently offered more details than required during the questioning.
Levy’s irritation became apparent when Wexner, asked about his former chief of staff, not only named him but also elaborated on their initial meeting.
The lawyer put his hand on the billionaire’s arm before saying: ‘Answer the question. It’s gonna help if you answer the question that he asks. We’ll all get out of here a lot faster.’
Later, after Wexner provided another extended response, Levy asked the opposing counsel: ‘Can I have one second? Because I think it will move this thing along a little faster.’
Billionaire Les Wexner’s lawyer, Michael Levy, was irritated by his client’s long-winded responses during a deposition on Wednesday. Levy is pictured whispering a vulgar warning to shorten Wexner’s answers into his ear
Wexner’s deposition was in regard to his relationship with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is pictured in a photo released by the Justice Department
The lawyer then leaned into his client’s ear and told him, ‘Stop telling stories, ok?’ He then pulled back and once again said: ‘Just answer the question.’
In another moment, Wexner said, ‘I think I’m giving you a long answer,’ before Levy interjected and said: ‘You are.’
‘No, in context,’ Wexner went on. ‘Because if I just say yes or no, you won’t understand it, and I really want this whole group to understand it.’
The billionaire then continued his answer by saying: ‘I never would have guessed that I was being conned. Never ever. The deceit was so subtle.’
Levy once again patted Wexner on the arm and said: ‘Answer the question. I’m sure we all appreciate the stories. We’re just trying to answer the questions that they actually want to be answered.’
The vulgar warning from Levy came after those exchanges, and Wexner responded by laughing.
The opposing counsel then asked him about a bidding war between Epstein and Donald Trump over a property that Wexner formerly owned. He had sold the property to another man, and the bidding war took place after the sale.
Wexner was asked if he had any knowledge about that dispute between Trump and Epstein.
Over the course of the five-hour deposition, Wexner frequently volunteered additional information beyond what was asked of him. He is pictured giving his testimony on Wednesday
Wexner’s lawyer, Levy, is pictured putting his hand on the billionaire’s arm. The lawyer did so multiple times throughout the deposition to signal his client to give shorter answers
The billionaire, who finally seemed to have gotten his lawyer’s message, simply replied: ‘No.’
During a short silence that followed, he smiled and looked over at Levy before nodding and letting out a small chuckle.
Wexner has spent years answering questions about his relationship with Epstein after they went into business together.
In an extraordinary move, Wexner gave Epstein power of attorney in 1991, allowing the financier to make investments and purchase property on his behalf.
He also famously gave Epstein his Manhattan townhouse – then the largest single-family property in the city – for a nominal $1 fee in the 1990s.
Wexner was also a signatory to Epstein’s now-infamous 50th birthday book.
‘Dear Jeffrey – I wanted to get you what you wanted. So here it is,’ reads the page signed by Wexner. An image of a woman’s breasts followed under the letter’s intro. ‘Happy Birthday. Your friend, Leslie,’ he wrote.
Wexner’s name appears in the Epstein files over 1,000 times, and the two shared a lengthy business relationship.
Wexner has categorically denied any knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes. The pedophile financier is pictured in a photo released by the Justice Department
Wexner was asked about a bidding war between Donald Trump and Epstein over a property he used to own. Trump and Epstein are pictured together at Mar-a-Lago in 1997
Epstein had ‘excellent judgment and unusually high standards,’ Wexner told Vanity Fair in a 2003 interview, and he was ‘always a most loyal friend.’
On Wednesday, the billionaire said he didn’t circulate in Epstein’s social circle, but often heard accounts of his encounters with other wealthy people.
Epstein ‘carefully used his acquaintance with important individuals to curate an aura of legitimacy,’ Wexner said.
He also said that he visited Epstein’s infamous island only once, stopping for a few hours one morning with his wife and young children while they were cruising on their boat.
Over the course of the deposition on Wednesday, Wexner categorically denied any knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes. In a written statement, he claimed that he was also a victim of the pedophile financier.
‘I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide,’ Wexner said.
