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PARIS — Jack Lang, who once held the position of France’s Culture Minister, has stepped down from his leadership role at a Paris cultural institution. This decision follows revelations of his historical financial ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, which have led to a tax probe.
Lang, a prominent figure during the Socialist administration of President François Mitterrand in the 1980s and 1990s, is the most notable individual in France to be affected by the publication of Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Department of Justice on January 30.
At 86, Lang was called to meet with officials at the French Foreign Ministry, which supervises the Arab World Institute, on Sunday. However, he chose to tender his resignation instead.
His lawyer, Laurent Merlet, expressed Lang’s sorrow and distress over leaving a role he cherished. Speaking on RTL radio on Sunday, Merlet noted that Lang prioritized the Arab World Institute’s interests, vehemently denying the allegations and labeling them as false.
The Foreign Ministry acknowledged receipt of his resignation on Saturday night.
The financial prosecutors’ office said it had opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline, over alleged “aggravated tax fraud laundering.”
French investigative news website Mediapart reported last week on alleged financial and business ties between the Lang family and Jeffrey Epstein through an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Jack Lang’s name was mentioned more than 600 times in the Epstein files, showing intermittent correspondence between 2012 and 2019. His daughter was also in the released files.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has “taken note” of Lang’s resignation and began the process to look for his successor, the foreign ministry said.
Lang headed the Arab World Institute since 2013.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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