Veteran French politician Jack Lang, a former minister, offered his resignation from a key cultural post on Saturday as pressure mounted following revelations in the latest release of the Epstein files.
Lang has headed the Arab World Institute (IMA) since 2013 and is the most high-profile public figure in France implicated in the release of private messages from the convicted sex offender.
He submitted a resignation letter to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who said he had taken note of Lang’s submission and would begin the process of appointing an interim president for the IMA.
“I offer to submit my resignation” at the next board meeting, wrote the 86-year-old in the letter, seen by AFP. A meeting scheduled at the foreign ministry on Sunday was cancelled, according to a source close to the ministry.
Lang’s offer comes after French prosecutors on Friday opened a preliminary case against him and his daughter Caroline over “laundering of aggravated tax-fraud proceeds” following their mention in Epstein-related files.
Before offering his resignation, Lang told AFP that the accusations were “baseless” and welcomed the investigation. “It will bring much light onto the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour,” he said. He denied wrongdoing, saying he was “shocked” his name appeared in the statutes of an offshore company in 2016 and that his dealings with Epstein were purely philanthropic.
His daughter, a film producer, also appeared in Epstein’s will as a beneficiary of five million euros, according to investigative website Mediapart. She has already resigned as head of the Union of Independent Producers (SPI). A mere mention in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
Lang is best known as a flamboyant and visionary culture minister under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand in the 1980s and 90s. He launched the enduring Fête de la Musique street festival and oversaw major architectural projects, including the Louvre Pyramid and the Bastille opera house.
Public pressure had grown throughout the week, despite Lang insisting he had done nothing wrong. He said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal behaviour, despite Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
The head of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, had urged Lang to step down “to protect the institution he runs.”
The IMA promotes Arab culture from its prestigious left-bank headquarters, frequently hosting major exhibitions. Lang has said he was introduced to Epstein by actor-director Woody Allen.
According to Le Monde and Mediapart, no files released by the US Justice Department suggest Lang or his daughter were implicated in Epstein’s sexual crimes. Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, owned a large apartment on Avenue Foch in west Paris and was a frequent visitor to the city.
