Epstein files: US House panel to question alleged management of Lesley Groff, once called 'extension' of financier's brain

The US House Oversight Committee will hold a closed-door interview on Tuesday (local time) with a woman who played a significant role in the life of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose name appears more than 160,000 times in Department of Justice (DOJ) records related to the convicted sex offender.

Lesley Groff worked as Epstein’s executive secretary in New York for over 18 years and was once described by the convicted felon as “an extension of my brain,” ABC News reported Tuesday.

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The documents revealed that Groff wore many hats while working for Epstein. Her job requirements included scheduling Epstein’s meetings with celebrities, scientists and politicians. In addition, she would book daily massages for him whenever he was in New York, as well as arranging travel for women associated with him. She was also one of four women listed as potential co-conspirators in Epstein’s controversial 2007 plea agreement.

Federal prosecutors said “numerous victims (of Epstein) said she was responsible for scheduling massages during which they were sexually abused.”

Groff’s to face panel

Lesley Groff will appear before the committee as part of an ongoing investigation into the federal government’s handling of the investigation into Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators. The committee also interviewed former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Epstein’s longtime personal assistant Sarah Kellen and the prison guard who was on duty the night Epstein died in his prison cell.

According to a report in September of last year, an Epstein survivor named Marina Lacerda called Groff specifically at a press conference and claimed that Groff had called her so many times to go to Epstein’s for a massage that she dropped out of high school before ninth grade.

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Epstein, who survived, recalls Groff’s alleged role in the abuse ring

In an interview with ABC News, Lacerda, who was one of the key witnesses leading Epstein’s child-trafficking indictment in 2019, said Groff was Epstein’s go-between.

She added: “Everything to do with Jeffrey Epstein had to go through Lesley Groff.”

Groff’s alleged role in Epstein’s abuse network

However, Groff, like many others, has consistently denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Groff, now 59, was questioned by investigators two years later and told prosecutors that arranging massages for Epstein was simply one of many tasks she handled. She said scheduling massages is only about one percent of her duties.

Hired by Epstein in 2001, she later told the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that she was immediately impressed by the late financier’s lifestyle and the company he ran, describing it as “quite incredible to see all the people that Epstein dealt with in politics, television, etc.”

DOJ records further revealed that Groff received a salary of $60,000 a year, which doubled to $120,000 over four years.

According to a report in The New York Times in 2005, Epstein bought Groff a new Mercedes and paid a nanny to ensure she continued working for him.

Read also | Videos of Trump and Epstein projected onto Washington hotel building

The case of Jeffrey Epstein

The case against Jeffrey Epstein stemmed from a complaint filed in 2006 by the parents of a 14-year-old girl who accused Epstein of allegedly molesting their daughter at his residence in Florida. In addition, many other underage girls have accused the late financier of paying them to have sex with him. He was arrested in 2019 and died in his cell while awaiting trial.

Reports suggest that several wealthy people have had contact with Epstein, with some being accused of wrongdoing. Epstein’s associate and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell recruited and managed his stable of victims, according to media reports.