Eyebrows rise as Bill Gates taps controversial lawyer to advise on Epstein deposition

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has turned to an unlikely person to help advise him as he prepares to testify about his relationship with late financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report from The New York Times on Tuesday.Gates was slated to speak to the House Oversight Committee in private on Wednesday, and The Times reported that he has tapped Jake Greenberg, the former top investigative counsel to the Committee, to help him in the wake of the release of the Epstein file. The fallout has affected his Gates Foundation amid questions about the nature of his relationship with Epstein, two sources affiliated with the organization told The Times."In preparing for the deposition, Mr. Gates has turned to Jake Greenberg, who until December was spearheading the oversight panel’s Epstein inquiry in his role as the committee’s top investigative official," according to The Times. "The people who disclosed his involvement insisted on anonymity to discuss Mr. Greenberg’s previously undisclosed function.""The arrangement, while not uncommon, raised eyebrows among government ethics experts who said it could create questionable optics for the deposition in a high-profile investigation," The Times reported.Greenberg had served as general counsel and chief investigations counsel for the House Oversight Committee until December 2025. He had previously led an investigation into the mental acuity of former President Joe Biden and had led depositions of Annie Tomasini, Biden's former senior advisor, and Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden's former White House press secretary. He was also working with the committee when it deposed William P. Barr, former attorney general, in the Epstein investigation.After leaving his job, he joined DLA Piper, a law firm that advertises its experience in congressional oversight and has received praise from House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY), which is displayed on the group's website."In his previous role, Mr. Greenberg was often one of the most direct and aggressive questioners of witnesses whom the Republican majority called in to testify in their investigations — experience that could help him prepare Mr. Gates for the kinds of questions he might face on Wednesday," according to The Times.Democrats have said they plan to push Gates to answer questions during the closed-door hearing."We need accountability for those in power and answers for survivors," Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) told The Times. "No one — regardless of power, political party or wealth — is above justice."