Pressure intensified on former French culture minister Jack Lang on Friday as officials moved to question the extent of his relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Lang, who has served as president of the Arab World Institute since 2013, was summoned to the foreign ministry to discuss his contacts with Epstein after a release of U.S. Department of Justice files that document intermittent correspondence between the two men from 2012 through Epstein’s 2019 death in custody.
Lang has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has said he was unaware of Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex offences at the time they met, which he places at around 2012. He described the financier as an acquaintance with an interest in art and cinema who had been introduced to him by U.S. film-maker Woody Allen. The 86-year-old former minister told BFMTV earlier in the week that Epstein was not a friend, that he knew little about him, and that he found Epstein to be "passionate about art, culture and cinema."
Documents in the Justice Department release, however, include exchanges that raise questions about Lang’s earlier characterisation of their relationship. Among the items is an email dated April 7, 2017, in which Lang thanked Epstein for a "splendid time" the previous day and wrote: "Your friendship, the amazing pl=ne (sic)m and your extraordinary generosity really touched us." The correspondence covered periods from about 2012 up to 2019, the files show.
Lang, who held multiple terms as culture and education minister between 1981 and 2002, has not been accused of any criminal act. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the summons. Speaking on French radio RTL, Lang said: "I fear nothing, and I am clean as a whistle."
Officials close to President Emmanuel Macron said the presidency and the prime minister’s office had asked relevant ministers to urge Lang to "think about the institution." The foreign ministry confirmed that a summons had been issued. The Arab World Institute is a cultural and research institution that promotes understanding of the Arab world and is located in Paris on the banks of the Seine river.
Lang’s name appears more than 600 times across the Justice Department documents, according to a review of the files. The wider disclosures have intensified examination of Epstein’s international connections with a range of public figures. The files have drawn attention to other prominent names, including Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles, and Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the United States.
The revelations have also affected Lang’s family. On Monday, Lang’s daughter Caroline resigned as head of France’s Independent Production Union after her own links to Epstein came to light. Both Lang and his daughter have denied any wrongdoing. Caroline Lang told BFMTV on Thursday that she only learned of Epstein’s 2008 conviction after he suggested in 2014 that she "look him up on Google."
The summons from the foreign ministry and the calls from the presidency and prime minister’s office for Lang to consider the interests of the institution add to an emerging reputational challenge for the Arab World Institute and for Lang personally. As inquiries and scrutiny continue, officials and observers will likely be watching whether Lang remains in his leadership role at the cultural institution he has headed since 2013.
Context and next steps
- Lang has been asked to meet with officials at the foreign ministry to discuss the correspondence revealed in the Justice Department files.
- The presidency and prime minister’s office have encouraged ministers to press Lang to "think about the institution," reflecting concern about reputational risk to the Arab World Institute.
- Lang and his daughter have denied any misconduct; inquiries appear focused on the nature of the relationship documented in the released files.