Ghislaine Maxwell’s relationship with Gateway co-founder Ted Waitt was reportedly a key focus during his closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee.
During the session, Waitt expressed regret over his past relationship with Maxwell, whom he reportedly dated for about six years. The billionaire business mogul also denied having any association with Jeffrey Epstein, claiming he largely avoided the late financier during his relationship with Maxwell for several personal reasons.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Ex Regrets Six-Year Romance
As part of the ongoing House Committee investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, Waitt recently appeared before the committee.
During the interview, he acknowledged dating Maxwell between 2004 and 2010 but said he now regrets being entangled with the former socialite.
“I never would’ve spent six years in a romantic relationship with her,” Waitt told the committee, according to a transcript obtained by The Guardian.
He also offered a different perspective on why their relationship ended, claiming that it had “run its course” and that he knew he “was never going to marry her.”
That contrasted with earlier remarks from Maxwell, who claimed the romance hit the rocks after a mysterious blackmail attempt involving Waitt in relation to one of Epstein’s civil cases.
Ted Waitt Says He ‘Avoided’ Jeffrey Epstein
Questions about any links Waitt may have had to Epstein were also raised during the closed-door meeting, which the tech mogul was keen to deny.
Waitt claimed that while he did meet Epstein and Maxwell at a large group dinner in Hong Kong in November 2003, he largely “avoided” the late convicted sex offender during his romantic relationship with Maxwell.
He cited two reasons for his stance: he found Epstein “off-putting” and was bothered that the Wall Street expert and Maxwell had once been romantically involved.
Waitt also denied ever visiting Epstein at any of his numerous homes, including the infamous island where many of the financier’s alleged crimes occurred. Additionally, he claimed he never flew on Epstein’s plane during his relationship with Maxwell.
Waitt Denies Knowing About Epstein Allegations
When the conversation shifted to whether Waitt was aware of the allegations against Epstein during his relationship with Maxwell, he strongly denied having any knowledge at the time.
Waitt claimed they discussed only Epstein’s 2008 conviction, and even then, the conversation was brief. Looking back, he admitted that he should have done more research into Epstein’s guilty plea and now regrets not doing so.
He also acknowledged that he was aware Maxwell failed to honor a subpoena to testify in a civil case against Epstein in 2009, though he claimed he did not know she had been actively avoiding the appearance.
According to Waitt, they had only discussed the deposition briefly in “general terms,” and it only became an issue between them at a later stage.
Ted Waitt Explains $7.2M Payment To Ghislaine Maxwell
During the conversation, lawmakers also raised questions about financial transactions from Waitt to Maxwell that occurred during their relationship and continued briefly after it ended.
Waitt admitted he voluntarily sent the money, saying much of it consisted of monthly payments made during the relationship, seemingly as upkeep for Maxwell.
He also explained why he transferred $7.2 million to Maxwell after their split, claiming it was a payoff for breaking her heart.
“Maxwell was devastated by our breakup,” Waitt said. “[I] felt it was the right thing to do, not uncommon for people in my situation to do that.”
He added, “We lived a fairly extravagant life. In hindsight, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Ghislaine Maxwell Refused House Questions From Prison
Maxwell had earlier appeared before the House committee in February, although that conversation went in a very different direction from Waitt’s, per CBS News.
She invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions during a virtual appearance from prison, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s crimes.
At the time, her lawyer, David Markus, said she would be willing to cooperate with the panel’s probe if Donald Trump granted her clemency. For now, the president has not yet confirmed his position on the matter.