Jeffrey Epstein is having a rough go of it in prison, and on the outside, every person or company that he ever associated with is having a moment of introspection – and L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, is no exception.
The company confirmed on Thursday that it had hired an outside law firm to carry out a review of Epstein’s role at the company, though, as of now, the company believes Epstein never had any formal role at L Brands, and that his relationship with the company’s founder and longtime CEO Leslie Wexner was mostly personal. Still, Epstein had at least some limited dealings with L Brands: He bought a plane from the company for $10 million, and at times he tried to weigh in on who should and shouldn’t become a Victoria’s Secret “Angel”, WSJ reports.
The disgraced “financier”/expert blackmailer reportedly managed Wexner’s fortune, and was once even given power of attorney, allowing Epstein to “buy” his 21,000 square foot Manhattan townhouse that is one of the largest private homes in the borough. But Wexner maintains that he cut ties with Epstein nearly 12 years ago, before Epstein served his first stint in “prison” for pimping out a 14-year-old girl. Epstein was arrested on new charges earlier this month, after an investigative series by the Miami Herald renewed interest in his case. Epstein is facing federal sex-trafficking charges stemming from an alleged scheme to systematically exploit underage girls. Wexner says he never had any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged crimes.
Epstein was indicted in New York on federal sex-trafficking charges stemming from an alleged scheme to exploit underage girls, but has pleaded not guilty.
Epstein and Wexner
An L Brands spokeswoman said of Epstein: “We do not believe he was ever employed by nor served as an authorized representative of the company.”
She added that “Epstein’s crimes are abhorrent and we applaud every effort to bring justice to those he harmed,” according to the New York Post.
The company recently shook up its board after activist hedge fund Barington Capital Group criticized the company, saying it didn’t have the expertise to navigate shifting tastes in the lingerie market.
Still, Epstein’s relationship with Wexner helped make him a fixture at company events for years, and Epstein reportedly used to tell young aspiring models that he could help them get work with Victoria’s Secret. He was a frequent presence at Victoria’s Secret parties – and Wexner has become extremely closely associated with Epstein since the latter’s arrest brought his story back into the headlines.
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2yeae7n Tyler Durden