Epstein Case: Jack Lang, Director of the IMA, Summoned at the Request of the Élysée

France is not untouched by the Epstein scandal. Jack Lang has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain his connections with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with the Élysée and Matignon urging the former Minister of Culture to protect the Arab World Institute he has presided over since 2013.

The executive branch believes that Jack Lang should "consider the institution" he leads, according to Emmanuel Macron's entourage. "The Élysée and Matignon have asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to summon him" for clarification, the same source added.

The Quai d'Orsay confirmed to AFP that the former Culture Minister under François Mitterrand was "summoned," but provided no further details. When contacted by AFP, Jack Lang did not respond immediately. Calls for his resignation are increasing even within the Socialist Party, with the PS leader, Olivier Faure, suggesting he should "reflect" on the situation.

On Wednesday, the 86-year-old former Culture Minister formally ruled out such a scenario, citing his "naivety" in light of revelations about his past connections with the American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

No charges have been brought against Jack Lang, and his presence among these three million documents does not indicate any wrongdoing on his part. However, the mention of his name 673 times and his financial ties to Epstein have tarnished his reputation and that of his daughter Caroline, who resigned on Monday from her position at the head of a film producers' union.

Source: France 24