French police raided the Arab World Institute in Paris on Monday as part of a widening investigation into its former president, ex-culture minister Jack Lang, and his daughter Caroline over suspected tax fraud linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The searches were among several locations targeted by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s office, which opened a preliminary investigation this month following the release of millions of documents related to Epstein in the United States. Lang, 86, resigned from the institute earlier this month after leading it since 2013.
The Arab World Institute, overseen by France’s foreign ministry, said it could not immediately comment on the police action.
A Friendship That Spanned Years
Lang, who served as culture minister under Socialist president François Mitterrand, has acknowledged corresponding with Epstein between 2012 and 2019—11 years after the financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl and four years after he registered as a sex offender.
Lang’s name appears nearly 700 times in the Epstein files, according to published reports. He has said he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes during their correspondence.
“I knew nothing of these terrible things,” Lang told French media earlier this month. “I only saw the façade of a billionaire philanthropist.”
The Email
One exchange cited in French media involves an email from Lang to Epstein in 2014 regarding a property deal in Morocco. Lang wrote about “€5.4 million, offshore” — a phrase he later said he didn’t “remember very well” when questioned by journalists.
Prosecutors are now examining whether any financial benefits flowed from Epstein to either Jack or Caroline Lang. Both have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
“There was no movement of funds,” their lawyer Laurent Merlet told French broadcaster BFMTV this month.
A Dedicated Task Force
Saturday, Paris prosecutors announced they had set up a dedicated team to review the Epstein files, coordinating with the financial prosecutor and national police. The office said it was analysing several potential cases stemming from the documents.
One involves French diplomat Fabrice Aidan, who is alleged to have transferred United Nations documents to Epstein. Aidan, who worked at the U.N. from July 2006 to April 2013, has rejected the accusations through his lawyer.
European Fallout
The French raids are the latest in a cascade of investigations sweeping Europe since the release of more than three million pages of Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Justice Department.
In Norway, police are investigating former prime minister and Council of Europe secretary general Thorbjørn Jagland on suspicion of “aggravated corruption” after emails showed he sought Epstein’s help financing an Oslo apartment. Norway’s crown princess has repeatedly apologized over her friendship with Epstein.
In the UK, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was forced to testify last week about his 2012 visit to Epstein’s island, which he had previously denied. Lord Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to the U.S. over his Epstein ties.
In Slovakia, officials have faced questions over former foreign minister Miroslav Lajčák’s correspondence with Epstein, in which the financier joked about women and sisters. Lajčák has denied any wrongdoing.
What Comes Next
The French investigation is in its early stages. Prosecutors have not filed charges against either Jack or Caroline Lang. The search of the Arab World Institute suggests investigators are gathering evidence before deciding whether to proceed.
For Lang, a towering figure in French culture who also served as education minister and a member of parliament, the probe threatens to tarnish a decades-long legacy. For the Epstein investigation, it marks another step in the slow, grinding process of holding accountable those who moved in the financier’s orbit—whether they knew of his crimes or not.
