Jack Lang Resigns Amid Epstein Financial Probe

Jack Lang, France's former Culture Minister, has stepped down from his position as head of a Paris cultural centre after allegations of financial ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein emerged, leading to a tax investigation. The accusations have raised concerns and prompted action from the French Foreign Ministry, which oversees the Arab World Institute where Lang served since 2013. Lang submitted his resignation following a summons to the ministry.

The resignation comes in the wake of the U.S. Department of Justice's release of Epstein files on January 30, which implicated Lang in various correspondences and connections. Serving as Culture Minister during the Socialist presidency of Francois Mitterrand, Lang holds a significant profile in France's cultural landscape. The French financial prosecutors' office has now launched an investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline, over alleged aggravated tax fraud laundering.

A report from Mediapart, a French investigative news outlet, detailed financial and business links between the Lang family and Epstein, noting involvement with an offshore company in the US Virgin Islands. With Lang's name cited over 600 times in the Epstein files, the allegations have caused a considerable stir. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that steps are underway to appoint Lang's successor.