France opens probe against ex-Culture Minister Lang after Epstein file dump
The Hindu
France investigates ex-Culture Minister Jack Lang for tax fraud following Epstein file revelations and growing pressure to resign.
The French Financial Prosecutor's Office said on Saturday (February 7, 2026) it had opened an investigation into former Culture Minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline on suspicion of ‘aggravated tax fraud laundering’, a move that follows the release of files linked to late convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Pressure is rising on Mr. Lang to resign as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris since files released on January 30 by the U.S. Department of Justice showed Epstein and Mr. Lang corresponding intermittently between 2012 and 2019, when the financier died by suicide in jail.
French media, including Le Monde, Le Figaro and Mediapart, said the preliminary investigation had been opened after the U.S. documents revealed years of correspondence and financial links between Mr. Lang and Epstein.
The office confirmed the investigation but did not provide further details.
Jack Lang has been summoned to report on Sunday (February 8, 2026) to the Foreign Ministry, which supervises the Arab World Institute, a cultural and research institution that promotes understanding of the Arab world.
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