Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) read the names of several men who were mentioned in files relating to deceased convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, although four of the men have no ties to Epstein.
While speaking from the House floor on Tuesday, Khanna revealed the names of six men, “whose names were originally redacted,” in the files, according to Politico. Khanna’s speech came after he and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) had reviewed “unredacted materials” relating to Epstein.
Two of the men Khanna identified were Leslie Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, “the chief executive officer of DP World,” according to the outlet.
The names of the four other men are Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonid Leonov, and Nicola Caputo.
Wexner’s legal representative explained to Politico that in 2019, “the Assistant U.S. Attorney” told Wexner’s legal counsel then that Wexner “was not a target in any respect.”
“The Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was being viewed as source of information about Epstein and was not a target in any respect,” Wexner’s legal representative said. “Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”
In a post on X, Khanna responded to his earlier post in which he said that he and Massie “forced” the Department of Justice (DOJ) to “disclose the identities” of the six men.
“I appreciate @JSweetLI’s reporting confirming today that Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonid Leonov, and Nicola Caputo were just part of a photo line up and are not connected to Epstein’s crimes,” Khanna wrote in his post. “I wish DOJ had provided that explanation earlier instead of redacting then unredacting their names. They have failed to protect survivors, created confusion for innocent men, and have protected rich and powerful abusers.”
The Guardian reported that “two of the men whose names Khanna read out on the floor” denied that they knew Epstein, while “one said he didn’t realize his name had been mentioned on the House floor in connection to Epstein” until he was reached by the outlet:
The Guardian spoke with two of the men whose names Khanna read out on the floor. They both strongly denied knowing Epstein at all; one said he didn’t realize his name had been mentioned on the House floor in connection to Epstein until the Guardian contacted him. The two men acknowledged they were arrested by the NYPD in the past for unrelated crimes, which could explain how their photos ended up in a photo array assembled by law enforcement.
Salvatore Nuarte, of Queens, New York, said he called Khanna’s office after hearing that his name was mentioned. “I don’t know if they know what they are doing over there at the justice department,” he told the Guardian. “But how can I clear my name?”
Sulayem, who is in the Epstein files a “jaw-dropping 4,700 times per the DoJ has already paid the price” by having resigned from his position with DP World, the New York Post reported.
Meanwhile, Wexner is reportedly “referenced nearly 200 times in the files,” according to the outlet.