Witness Briefing: THEODORE W. "TED" WAITT

Gateway Computers Co-Founder, Avalon Capital Group, Ghislaine Maxwell's 7-Year Boyfriend

Interview date: April 30, 2026 (voluntary; rescheduled from April 16, 2026) (Oversight letter, March 3, 2026; Committee release, May 13, 2026)
Type: Voluntary transcribed interview before House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (not under subpoena)
Counsel: Ashley Callen, Jon Skladany, Andrew Plague — Jenner & Block (transcript p. 3)
Cooperating posture: Appeared voluntarily; gave a prepared opening statement; took 1 Hr 16 minutes of questioning over two rounds; declined to invoke any privilege; answered "I do not recall" frequently on dates and specifics
Transcript: Waitt-Transcript.pdf — 117 pages, released May 13, 2026
Corpus footprint: 557 documents in the EFTA corpus reference Waitt by surname; 156 reference his investment firm Avalon (Capital Group); Maxwell's J.P. Morgan and AMEX records preserve at least 8 years of his payment ledger (2008–2010); FBI files contain at least 2 NTOC tips naming him

Updated: May 13, 2026
Sources: EFTA corpus, House Oversight transcript HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_TRANSCRIPT_WAITT_2026-04-30, FBI NTOC intake records, AMEX/JPMorgan account statements, news sources
Standard: Every factual claim supported by EFTA number with justice.gov URL, OR external source URL

See also: Congressional Subpoena Guide | Witness Brief: Darren Indyke | Witness Brief: Richard Kahn | Bill Clinton Investigation | Operation Chain Reaction Part 2

1. WHO HE IS

Background

Why He Matters

Ted Waitt was Ghislaine Maxwell's only publicly identified long-term romantic partner during the most active period of Epstein's federal exposure — the 2003-2010 window that bookends Epstein's 2006 arrest, 2008 plea deal, and 2008-2009 work-release in Palm Beach. Maxwell described their relationship to DOJ in 2025 as a "very long-term committed relationship" (EFTA00655348). Her defense team argued at sentencing that the relationship "was on track for marriage."

For seven years, Waitt funded Maxwell's lifestyle — $30,000 a month in routed wire transfers from his California account into 116 East 65th Street LLC (the entity holding Maxwell's New York townhouse, which was managed by Darren Indyke), AMEX sub-account access, and a $7,211,238 final lump-sum "palimony" payment on September 24, 2010 — the precise day after he ended the relationship. Maxwell traveled on Avalon Capital aircraft, used Waitt's home in La Jolla, and routed her own administrative correspondence through Waitt's assistant.

Despite all of this, Waitt was never interviewed by SDNY, never deposed in the Maxwell criminal case, and never approached by FBI agents — even after at least two anonymous NTOC tips in July 2020 specifically named him as someone "law enforcement should speak to." His April 30, 2026 voluntary appearance is the first time he has answered investigators' questions on the record about Maxwell.

2. THE HONG KONG DINNER — NOVEMBER 2003

Waitt testified that he met both Maxwell and Epstein at the same Hong Kong dinner in November 2003 — invited last-minute by Doug Band (then Counselor to former President Clinton) when Waitt happened to be in Hong Kong on business and saw Clinton was in town. (Transcript pp. 9, 12, 75-76, 80)

Waitt's account:
- Clinton was at the dinner ("only Bill Clinton," not Hillary — transcript p. 12)
- Waitt was seated next to Clinton (p. 12)
- Maxwell and Epstein were at the same table (p. 13)
- Waitt does not recall any direct conversation with Epstein that night (p. 13)
- He exchanged contact info with Maxwell and had their first dinner together in New York in December 2003 (p. 14)
- The romantic relationship began in early 2004 (p. 14)

Cross-corroboration from Maxwell's DOJ deposition (July 2025):

Maxwell told the DOJ that she "met Ted Waitt at a Clinton dinner" — but said Waitt "wouldn't have been there had it not been a President Clinton dinner" and that "Ted came to be with President Clinton." (DOJ-OGR-00022393 p. 33)

Conflict Note — When the relationship actually began:

A former Epstein employee — described in transcript exhibit 1 as a woman who worked first as legal assistant at J. Epstein & Company and later as Maxwell's executive assistant for 6 years — testified that Waitt and Maxwell were "seeing each other as a couple in 2001 or 2002, which is right before she stopped working for Ms. Maxwell." (Transcript p. 17, citing the Jane Doe transcript at EFT 6615 page 85)

Waitt denied this, saying he did not meet Maxwell until November 2003. Maxwell also told DOJ she couldn't quite remember but agreed it was 2003. The discrepancy is unresolved.

What these documents do NOT show: They do not show that Waitt and Maxwell were romantically involved before November 2003. They do not show Waitt knew Epstein before that night. They do not contradict Waitt's account that his interaction with Epstein at the Hong Kong dinner was minimal.

3. THE SEVEN-YEAR RELATIONSHIP — 2004–2010

Email Volume

The EFTA corpus contains hundreds of emails between Waitt ([email protected]) and Maxwell ([email protected], later [email protected]). These were preserved on Epstein's own servers — meaning Maxwell forwarded selected exchanges to him, or Epstein received them through shared accounts, or the FBI seized them in the 2019 raids. The 2004 emails are mostly intimate banter (Maxwell calling Waitt "boyfriend," signing "Gx," discussing "the spanking," teasing each other about cars and helicopters). Subject lines include "Smiles," "Hey," "Sorry," "Naughty," "PS," "Stranded in Sioux City," "Oops."

Properties and Travel

Waitt testified he split time between his La Jolla, California home and Maxwell's New York townhouse at 116 East 65th Street. He kept an office and clothes at her residence. Maxwell stayed at his La Jolla home from approximately 2006-2007 onward, after she got to know his four children. (Transcript pp. 18-19)

He testified he had never been to any Epstein property except a brief stop outside the Palm Beach mansion (he stayed in the car) and never went to Little Saint James, the New York townhouse, Zorro Ranch, the Paris apartment, or 301 East 66th Street. (Transcript pp. 90-91) He also testified he never flew on any of Epstein's aircraft. (Transcript p. 91)

4. THE MONEY — $720K MONTHLY + $7.21M FINAL PAYMENT + AMEX SUB-ACCOUNT

The Monthly $30,000 Wires (2008–2010)

J.P. Morgan account statements for 116 East 65th St LLC — Maxwell's New York property entity, which Waitt did not know at the time was controlled by Darren Indyke (Transcript p. 63) — show systematic monthly $30,000 wire credits from "Theodore W Waitt LA Jolla CA" via Wells Fargo Bank routing 121000248. The wires arrive on the 1st-4th of each month with sequential reference numbers (000002000, 000002186, 000002314, 000002365, 000002542, 000002590, 000002685, etc.), consistent with a standing instruction.

Waitt testified the payments were "monthly payments I made for what I felt was my share of her and to help with her expenses of her staff, the house." (Transcript p. 61) He estimated total payments at approximately $720,000 over the period; the minority counsel cited the same figure (Transcript p. 61).

Documented monthly wire credits in the corpus:

The payment pattern continued from at least May 2008 through April 2010 — approximately two years of monthly $30,000 wires totaling ~$720,000 — covering the precise window of Epstein's incarceration, work-release, and the post-release period. The payments started while Epstein was in jail and ended five months before Waitt's lump-sum exit payment.

Why this matters: Waitt was wiring 116 East 65th Street LLC — the Indyke-controlled entity shielding ownership of Maxwell's townhouse — every month. The Indyke-as-manager fact is documented in JPMorgan's KYC compliance file at EFTA01295770 (LexisNexis state-registry section). He testified he did not know Indyke controlled the LLC and only heard "Darren" as a name Maxwell "interfaced with" frequently (Transcript p. 63).

The $7,211,238 Lump Sum — September 24, 2010

J.P. Morgan account statements for Ghislaine Maxwell's personal account show a single Fed Wire credit of $7,211,238.00 on September 24, 2010, from "Theodore W Waitt LA Jolla CA":

"09/24 Fed Wire Credit Via: Wells Fargo Bank/121000248 B/O: Theodore W Waitt LA Jolla CA 92038-2409 Ref: Chase Nyc/Ctr/Bnf=Ghislaine Maxwell Miami Beach FL 33139-1331/Ac-000000029164 Rfb=000003047 Bbi=/Time/17:57 Imad: 0924I1B7031R 031846 Trn: 5918509267Ff"
— EFTA01523987, EFTA01575730

The wire arrived September 24, 2010 — the same month Waitt told the committee he ended the relationship (Transcript pp. 10, 18). Three days later Maxwell moved $1,000,000 to another account (Sep 27); two days after that another $2,000,000 (Sep 29) (same source).

Waitt described it as a "palimony settlement-type thing" (Transcript p. 86). He testified the precise figure of $7,211,238 reflected "a deduction for the gift tax" from a round number (Transcript p. 94). His staff handled the final negotiations because he "did not want to have any ongoing contact" (Transcript p. 94). Maxwell, according to Waitt's staff, was "very unhappy with the breakup" and "wanted more" (Transcript p. 95).

The AMEX Sub-Account (until September 2010)

A July 1, 2020 FBI New York Field Office forensic accountant memo to SDNY prosecutors identifies three Maxwell-related AMEX account relationships in the AMEX production:

1. ELLMAX LLC / GMAXWELL — last statement September 2016
2. G MAXWELL — her individual account (last six digits 208004)
3. THEODORE W WAITT — Maxwell had a sub account under this relationship. The September 2010 is the last statement in which Maxwell is included in the account.

Source: EFTA01654870, EFTA00037702 (duplicate)

The Waitt AMEX statements preserved in the corpus run for thousands of pages within EFTA01684802 (a multi-year compilation, not a single month's statement). Joint travel arrangements appear across the file:

"02/25/08 DIVA LIMOUSINE LOS ANGELES — 02/24/08-MAXWELL GHISLAINE IRVING TX"

"05/05/08 DIVA LIMOUSINE LOS ANGELES — 04/30/08-WAITT THEODORE W. SAN FRANCISCO CA"

The same file shows tens of thousands of dollars in monthly card activity including British Airways tickets to London/Paris ($9,817.60, $1.50, $393.80 — separate tickets, May 23-Jun 5, 2008), Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel stays, and a single $94,774 San Diego Padres TKT charge on the January 2008 statement (p.1770 of the file).

One Small Personal-Account Payment

A minority counsel exhibit (Exhibit B) showed an October 23, 2008 wire of approximately $3,000 from Waitt to Maxwell's personal AMEX account — distinct from the LLC pattern. Waitt did not recall what it was for. (Transcript p. 67)

What these documents do NOT show: They do not show that the money was used for any illegal purpose. They do not show Waitt knew the 116 East 65th LLC was Indyke-controlled. They do not show any commingled investment. They do show that Waitt provided continuous, structured financial support to Maxwell across the precise window of Epstein's federal prosecution.

5. THE AVALON CAPITAL GULFSTREAM — DOCUMENTED JOINT TRAVEL

The Epstein production contains a multi-leg passenger itinerary from TAG Aviation, Trip Number 30538, for a private jet flight June 27 – July 3, 2005:

• Aircraft: Gulfstream V, tail number N401WJ
• Requester: Avalon Capital Group Inc (Waitt's private investment firm)
• Planner: Erin Duffey (Avalon staff)

Confirmed legs and passengers:

Source: EFTA00576843 (6 pages)

This itinerary is significant because:
1. It documents a specific Waitt-Maxwell joint Caribbean trip during the active Epstein abuse window
2. The trip routed through Galaxy Aviation at Palm Beach International — the same FBO Epstein used for Florida operations
3. Maxwell was picked up by "G's PERSONAL DRIVER" at Teterboro, indicating routine integration with her NYC infrastructure
4. The Avalon Capital aircraft was Waitt's plane — not Epstein's, but it shows the operational logistics infrastructure available to Maxwell

LexisNexis-style records produced in the EFTA corpus also list Maxwell as associated with AVALON CAPITAL GROUP INC at "801 RIVER DR, NORTH SIOUX CITY, SD 57049-3128" (the Avalon corporate address) (EFTA01261999).

What this does NOT show: The itinerary shows no stop at Little Saint James or any Epstein property. It does not show abuse of any kind. It does show that Maxwell — Epstein's longtime accomplice — had unsupervised, planner-coordinated access to Waitt's private aircraft and infrastructure during the abuse window.

6. THE ROTHSTEIN "BLACKMAIL" THREAD — 2009

In July 2009, Scott Rothstein — the Florida lawyer who would be convicted in November 2009 of running a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme and who served as Bradley Edwards's law partner at Rothstein, Rosenfeldt, Adler — approached Waitt through Waitt's friend A.J. Discala (a Canvas Financial partner who Maxwell also identified in emails as "AJ" and who Waitt described as the man "who approached him in July"). Maxwell's later summary to Epstein (March 24, 2011):

"AJ approached him in July as you can see if not before and TW did not see the stuff nor know it was your cases — As Rothstein got more desperate AJ got a meeting behind TW back and then said to TW that if he paid my name would go away guaranteed ..tw said he was being blackmailed that is all I know — I don't know how many calls or e mails were sent between them also tw said he didn't pay anything"
— EFTA02029153

Waitt's October 16, 2009 email to Maxwell ("Lawyers" thread):

"Got to be related somehow to the guy that subpoenaed you. Who is that firm? They have all the info and apparently settling for 18mm. Same suit I believe."
— EFTA02029154

"These are the guys aj is working with. He read all your stuff apparently, as they have it all, doing due diligence on their biggest upcoming settlement."

"Scott rothstein with Rothstein, Rosenfeldt, Adler."
— Same EFTA chain

Waitt's July 23, 2009 advice on the underlying "Clockwork Capital Advisors" investment proposal (the vehicle Rothstein used to package the structured-settlement scheme):

"We'll talk when I get a good connection. Phone service unreliable here on the boat in galapagos. My initial take away is it just 'feels like a dirty business' or scam. Could very well be totally legit and a great investment, but it's just doesn't feel clean. First of all you start with a sexual harrassment case that could be set-up, or blackmail. Then you throw in a scumbag lawyer, and then you try and pay it off early to get around a court order. Mix in an off shore entity in the caymans, and you have something that just feels highly dodgy. There might be people out there who buy into it, but I'd run away as would most sophisticated investors. My advice to you although you might not want to hear it, is with all the clouds surrounding you, I'd look for something squeaky clean, and while this might be legit, it just feels dirty."
— EFTA02002828, EFTA01777209, EFTA01864471, EFTA01865131

A separate attachment (October 2009) — "108-09 EM fr DiScala to Von Allmen re Ted Waitt" — was preserved in Epstein's own files (EFTA01868716, EFTA00907670).

Conflict Note — Why the Relationship Ended

Waitt's account (April 30, 2026): The relationship ended in September 2010 because he "knew I was never going to marry her" and "it was just time." It "had run its course." The Rothstein matter was "not the primary" reason. (Transcript pp. 15, 107)

Maxwell's account (DOJ interview, July 2025, summarized to Waitt at Transcript p. 59): The relationship "couldn't survive the blackmail threats that were issued against you by Mr. Rothstein."

Waitt's email-record account (Mar 2011, summarized by Maxwell to Epstein): "AJ approached him in July… TW did not see the stuff nor know it was your cases — As Rothstein got more desperate AJ got a meeting behind TW back and then said to TW that if he paid my name would go away guaranteed."

These accounts are not necessarily inconsistent: a blackmail attempt timed July-October 2009, followed by Waitt's stated decision to end things in September 2010, is roughly an 11-month gap. The committee did not press whether the Rothstein attempt accelerated the timeline.

What this does NOT show: The "blackmail" framing was Waitt's characterization in 2009. Maxwell's name did not, in fact, "go away" from the civil suits — Bradley Edwards continued representing victims through Maxwell's 2021 conviction. There is no evidence Waitt paid Discala or Rothstein. There is no evidence the Clockwork investment scheme was funded.

7. THE FBI TIPS — NEVER ACTED UPON

The EFTA corpus contains at least two anonymous tips to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) in July 2020 — days after Maxwell's arrest — that specifically named Waitt as someone investigators should question.

Anonymous Female Caller (July 2, 2020)

A dual-national female caller, traveled together with Maxwell on private aircraft from 2006 onward, called NTOC to report:

"Two people Law Enforcement should speak to is Ted Waitt and Ron Burkle. Waitt was Maxwell's boyfriend who lives in Los Angeles, California and is now married to Michelle Merkin. She also said to look into Ron Burkle, a prominent real estate developer in Los Angeles, California who she knows through aviation. She said Maxwell was the one in charge of getting the girls and Waitt was there and knows what was going on."
— EFTA01245005 (Serial 414)

The same caller reported that on a basement visit at Maxwell's townhouse she saw "several photographs of young girls" and called it "disturbing" — questioning "why anyone needed a dark room in their home."

Peter Nomikos Tip (July 17, 2020)

"Nomikos was also under the impression that the owner of Gateway Computer, Ted Waitt (no identifying information provided) (Waitt) and Jeffrey Epstein (Epstein) were in some sort of relationship beyond friendship at this time."
— EFTA01249691 (Serial 4E)

Nomikos was reporting a 2012 dinner at Maxwell's townhouse he attended via "his friend David Callow" — context placing the alleged Waitt-Epstein "relationship beyond friendship" in 2012, two years after Waitt and Maxwell broke up.

Waitt's Response in the Transcript

Both tips were entered as Exhibit D and Exhibit E in the April 30, 2026 interview. Waitt's reaction:

• He did not know who the anonymous caller was (Transcript p. 68)
• He had never heard of Peter Nomikos (Transcript p. 69)
• He had no idea why anyone would describe him as having a "relationship beyond friendship" with Epstein (Transcript p. 70)
• He testified he had no relationship with Epstein in 2012 (Transcript p. 71)
• The FBI never contacted him in response to either tip (Transcript pp. 69, 71)

Source Reliability Assessment

Both NTOC intake tips are Tier 3 under the corpus reliability hierarchy: anonymous or barely-verified second-hand assertions, never followed up by investigators, never converted to FD-302 interviews of either Waitt or the people they named. The anonymous caller's account contains corroborable elements (Michelle Merkin marriage, La Jolla residence, accurate timeline) but the core "Waitt knows what was going on" claim is uncorroborated. The Nomikos tip is based on his own "impression" from a 2012 dinner. Both tips should be presented to readers, but neither should be treated as evidentiary in itself.

The bigger story is institutional: two tips naming the long-term partner of the woman who would be convicted of sex trafficking minors went into the NTOC intake system in July 2020 and produced zero investigative follow-up. Senator Wyden has separately documented that no DOJ agency ever interviewed Indyke or Kahn (Wyden letter, Dec 17, 2025). Waitt is now in that same category.

8. THE FBI 302 — STAFF INTERVIEW ABOUT WORKING FOR WAITT (October 28, 2020)

A separate FD-302 interview report — produced after Maxwell's arrest — describes a woman who worked at J. Epstein & Co. as a legal assistant and later as Maxwell's executive assistant for 6 years (the same "Jane Doe" whose deposition was Majority Exhibit 1 in the Waitt interview). She told the FBI:

"In or around 2007/2008, [she] had a job interview with MAXWELL in California. [She] was interviewing to work for TED WAITT, who MAXWELL was dating at the time. It was a project manager position. [She] did not get the job. [She] thought MAXWELL had said it was ok she did not get the job because it was labor intensive."
— EFTA00083803 p. 5, EFTA01245802 p. 5 (duplicate)

This was the basis of Minority Exhibit I — the FBI 302 that Waitt was shown at the end of his interview. He testified he did not recall the interview, did not know about it, but acknowledged that Maxwell "spent — I believe she was involved in" helping him find housekeeping staff after his divorce. (Transcript p. 113)

Maxwell finding household staff for Waitt is independently corroborated in the email record:

"One of the things I am working on is finding someone to work for you. I think I have some potential candidates."
— Maxwell to Waitt, April 2, 2004 (EFTA00579058 and minority Exhibit G in the transcript; transcript p. 93)

Maxwell also offered: "Re the help — happy to look, have to let you know that if they are East coast I'll meet then to see if I like them — west coast and they will be all yours minus my preliminary vetting process to avoid the worst." (Same EFTA chain)

This — Maxwell vetting domestic staff for Waitt's California home — is significant because Maxwell's role for Epstein, as Waitt himself described it, was "estate management, property management… hiring the housekeepers, the chefs, the drivers" (Transcript p. 66). The same person who hired the household staff who served Epstein at the homes where minors were abused was also vetting domestic staff for Waitt.

What these documents do NOT show: They do not show that any of Waitt's domestic staff were minors or otherwise involved in any abuse. They show that Maxwell was the recruitment broker for Waitt's household — the same operational role she filled for Epstein.

9. THE CLINTON CONNECTION

How Waitt Met the Clintons

Waitt testified he first met President Clinton in 1998 or 1999 at a Gateway corporate event in Dublin, Ireland, when the Irish and U.S. governments signed a "digital treaty" (Transcript p. 32). Hillary Clinton he first met "early 2000s" at a private dinner in New York with Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen (Transcript pp. 32-33). He met Chelsea Clinton "early 2000s" (p. 36).

The 2007/2008 Hillary Campaign Dinner

Waitt testified that in approximately 2007 — before the 2008 election — he attended a small private dinner at Hillary Clinton's Washington, D.C. residence to discuss her presidential run. He brought Ghislaine Maxwell as his date. Huma Abedin was present. (Transcript pp. 74-75)

This was a "small group" meeting to "discuss her Presidential run" — "political strategy" rather than explicit fundraising (Transcript p. 75). Waitt believed Maxwell was there as his plus-one rather than separately invited.

Chelsea Clinton's Wedding (July 31, 2010)

Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton's July 31, 2010 wedding to Marc Mezvinsky as Waitt's date. (Transcript pp. 39-40) Waitt was unsure whether the invitation was addressed to both of them or just to him.

The Maxwell attendance at Chelsea Clinton's wedding has been widely reported — Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday coverage of the 2010 event noted Maxwell's presence (EFTA01200070). At the time of the wedding, Maxwell had been avoiding a 2009 civil subpoena in the Jane Doe v. Epstein case for over a year. Waitt testified he did not know Maxwell was avoiding the deposition. (Transcript pp. 41-42)

The CGI Trips with Bill Clinton

Waitt testified to two major international trips with Bill Clinton:

1. South Africa for Nelson Mandela's 85th birthday (2003) — Maxwell not on this trip; Waitt does not recall this with certainty but said it was around the Mandela birthday celebration
2. Asia tsunami/AIDS trip (mid-2000s, after the December 2004 tsunami) — Banda Aceh Indonesia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea; Waitt confirmed Ghislaine Maxwell was on this trip with him as his guest (Transcript pp. 101, 107-108)

This is consistent with Clinton's own deposition testimony — described in the committee's Bill Clinton report at EFTA02333120 where Ted Waitt is identified as the conduit for "Clinton asked how you were" messages relayed to Maxwell. (See Bill Clinton Investigation)

In Clinton's House Oversight deposition, Clinton himself reportedly said he became "closer to Ms. Maxwell because of [Waitt]." (Transcript p. 38)

Continuing Relationship with the Clintons

Waitt testified he still speaks with President Clinton "once or twice a year." He has not seen Hillary Clinton "in a while." He is "close friends" with Chelsea Clinton and her husband Marc Mezvinsky, seeing them "a few times a year." (Transcript pp. 35-36)

He testified he had not discussed his House Oversight interview or the Clintons' depositions with any of them. (Transcript p. 35)

10. THE EPSTEIN INTERACTIONS — FOUR ENCOUNTERS

Waitt testified that across his 7-year relationship with Maxwell, he interacted with Epstein "less than five times" — and named exactly four:

1. November 2003, Hong Kong dinner — the introduction; "I don't recall having a direct conversation with him." Brief, table-wide setting. (Transcript p. 13)
2. Early 2004, Maxwell's 116 East 65th Street townhouse — Epstein appeared unannounced, "at his request"; Maxwell was not present in the room; Epstein asked Waitt "a lot about what I was investing in"; Waitt described it as "feeling me out" and "quite odd." This is the only one-on-one Waitt-Epstein interaction. (Transcript pp. 22-23, 47)
3. A New York street encounter — brief, Epstein was with a young woman Waitt described as "a model type, appeared to be in her lower twenties, eastern European" who he was told was Epstein's girlfriend. (Transcript pp. 51, 84)
4. A St. Barts street encounter — Epstein was with Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling-agency owner who would be arrested in 2020 for sex crimes and die by apparent suicide in 2022. Waitt described it as a 2-3 minute sidewalk conversation. (Transcript p. 114)

The same "Eastern European" woman appears at both the New York and St. Barts encounters. (Transcript p. 51, 84)

What Waitt Said About Epstein

• "Off-putting" and "somewhat arrogant" (Transcript pp. 20-21)
• "I didn't really pay significant attention to it that much"
• "I never really had a relationship with Mr. Epstein" (p. 23)
• "I would have been happy to cooperate" if law enforcement had ever asked (p. 93)
• "He seemed to have significant influence over her [Maxwell], she did always kind of look up to him and I was not comfortable with that" (p. 52)
• On Epstein's claimed investment returns: "It always seemed a little suspect to me… the type of financial returns he was supposed to generate were kind of… unheard of" and "when I looked at his assets, most of them seemed to come from Mr. Wexner" (p. 52-53)
• Maxwell described Epstein and Brunel as "friends" but expressed "a dislike" for Brunel — "like he was not a good person" (p. 115)

What Waitt Said He Did NOT Know

• That Maxwell was named as an Epstein co-conspirator (p. 87)
• The specific charges in Epstein's 2008 plea (p. 56)
• That Maxwell was avoiding a 2009 deposition during the Chelsea Clinton wedding period (p. 41)
• About the Florida Science Foundation (p. 57)
• About Virginia Roberts Giuffre (p. 59)
• About TerraMar Project beyond it being Maxwell's "ocean conservation" project (p. 100)

His Stated Regret

"Around that 2008, [I] wish I would have done more research at that point, which I did not — I did not do."
— Transcript p. 110

"I clearly didn't want her affiliating with him and I didn't want to affiliate with him, and I had no affiliation with him myself. So I think I probably would have pushed more in that direction."
— Transcript p. 58 (on Epstein's work-release)

What this does NOT show: Waitt testified under penalty of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 to a limited interaction set. The committee did not produce any documentary evidence (calendar entry, email, photograph, witness statement) contradicting the four-encounter count. The most aggressive testing of his account is the FBI NTOC tip alleging Waitt and Epstein had a "relationship beyond friendship" circa 2012 — and that tip is Tier 3 hearsay from a third party (Peter Nomikos) who described it as his own "impression."

11. WAITT'S RESPONSE TO THE COMMITTEE

The Opening Statement (Transcript pp. 8-10)

Waitt opened with a 56-line prepared statement:

"I want to acknowledge the victims who were silenced and ignored and denied justice for too long. I am hopeful that this inquiry will lead not only to greater accountability and justice for victims, but also to a broader public understanding of the conditions that expose young women to violence and exploitation across the country and around the world."

"I can say unequivocally that if I knew then what I know now about Ms. Maxwell, I never would've befriended her or allowed her to be around my four children, three of whom are girls and who, at that point, ranged in age from 8 to 14. I never would've spent 6 years in a romantic relationship with her."

He cited the 2005 founding of the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention as a basis for his stated commitment to the inquiry.

The Children Disclosure

Waitt confirmed Maxwell "had a close relationship with my four children" during the 2004-2010 relationship and "met virtually everyone in my immediate family." After the breakup, "not that I know of" did Maxwell remain in contact with the children, with one exception: "I do believe my daughter Emily saw her in an airport once." (Transcript p. 20)

The children were 8 to 14 when the relationship began (2004) and 14 to 21 when it ended (2010). Waitt's three daughters were teenagers during the period Maxwell was traveling with him on private aircraft, staying at his La Jolla home, attending Chelsea Clinton's wedding, and (per the FBI 302) interviewing household staff candidates for him.

"I Was Kind Of Expecting It"

When Rep. Mace asked Waitt whether he found it odd that no law enforcement agency had ever contacted him:

Mr. Waitt: "I — that's a good question. 'Odd' might not be the right term. I was kind of expecting it in a way."
Ms. Mace: "Suspicious?"
Mr. Waitt: "I wouldn't say it's…"
Ms. Mace: "Weird?"
Mr. Waitt: "I wouldn't say it's weird. No, I had no direct involvement and I don't think I was ever brought up."
Mr. Spectre / Mace: "I think it's weird. Like, I just — there's no investigation at all, her behavior."
Mr. Waitt: "I would have been happy to cooperate."
— Transcript pp. 92-93

This is one of the rare moments in the transcript where Waitt directly engaged with the question of why DOJ never came knocking. His answer — that he was "kind of expecting it" — is consistent with his stated lack of direct knowledge, but does not explain the institutional failure on FBI's part to act on at least two NTOC tips naming him.

12. PROPERTIES, AIRCRAFT, AND THE "NEVER WAS THERE" QUESTIONS

In a single uninterrupted question block (Transcript pp. 90-92), Waitt categorically denied ever:

• Being inside any Epstein home (with a single car-stop at the Palm Beach gate)
• Going to Little Saint James
• Going to Zorro Ranch
• Going to the New York townhouse
• Going to Epstein's Paris apartment
• Going to 301 East 66th Street (Epstein's office)
• Going to New Albany, Ohio (Wexner property)
• Flying on any Epstein aircraft
• Being invited to fly on any Epstein aircraft (by Epstein OR by Maxwell)
• Flying on any aircraft piloted by Maxwell (other than his own helicopter with another co-pilot aboard)
• Having Epstein on any Waitt aircraft

What this does NOT show: Waitt's denials cover only travel — they do not address phone, email, or video communication, financial transactions, or third-party meetings. The Avalon Capital aircraft itinerary at EFTA00576843 documents Maxwell travel on Waitt's plane independent of Epstein, but the committee did not produce any flight log putting Waitt on N908JE, N212JE, N909JE, or the other Epstein aircraft.

13. WHAT THE COMMITTEE DID NOT ASK

Several documented facts in the EFTA corpus were not put to Waitt during the April 30 interview:

1. The Wexner observation. Waitt told the committee Epstein's wealth "seemed to come from Mr. Wexner" (p. 53). The committee did not pursue when or how he formed that view, whether Maxwell discussed Wexner with him, or what role Wexner played during the dating period.

2. The "Tom" Kabul invitation. EFTA02335312 preserves a 2004 email Maxwell forwarded to Waitt about being invited (likely by Tom Pritzker) to "go to Kabul." The committee did not ask about it.

3. Doug Band's role. Waitt named Doug Band as his Hong Kong dinner inviter (p. 12, 75-76), as his channel to Clinton ("Most of my communications would have gone through one of his staff members. At that time, Doug Band" — p. 77), and as Maxwell's friend ("Their relationship goes back quite some time" — p. 102). The committee did not pursue Band's role as broker.

4. Faith Kates. Asked if he knew "somebody by the name of Faith Kates" — the founder of Next Models, a Brunel orbit figure — Waitt said the name "does not sound familiar." (Transcript p. 113) The committee did not probe further.

5. The $94,774 single AMEX transaction in his January 2008 statement to "San Diego Padres TKT San Diego" (EFTA01684802 p. 1770) — and the broader question of what other Maxwell-related Avalon expenditures are in his books.

6. The "three 18-year-olds' trip" — Minority Exhibit F. Maxwell's October 12, 2004 email to Waitt: "Forgot to mention what price I exacted for my car and funding of the three 18-year-olds' trip." Waitt's reply: "Do tell, you naughty girl." When pressed about the meaning of "naughty," Waitt said it was "more like clever or, you know" rather than sexual (EFTA02333082; transcript p. 82). The committee accepted his explanation but did not ask follow-up questions about who the 18-year-olds were, what trip they took, or what "price" Maxwell "exacted" — and the email source is preserved in Epstein's own files.

7. The Coinbase / Blockchain Capital orbit. Maxwell sat on Blockchain Capital's advisory board for a period after the Waitt breakup; Indyke handled a $14.67M Coinbase buyback. The committee did not ask Waitt whether he knew about Maxwell's post-2010 investment work.

8. The TerraMar Project. Maxwell's ocean-conservation nonprofit dissolved within days of Epstein's arrest. Waitt is an ocean-conservation philanthropist (Waitt Foundation pledged $150M for marine work in 2019). The committee asked whether he donated to TerraMar; he said no (p. 100). It did not ask whether Maxwell modeled TerraMar on his philanthropic work or used his network.

14. CIVIL EXPOSURE AND PRIOR INVESTIGATIONS

Waitt has never been named as a defendant in any Epstein- or Maxwell-related civil suit. He has never been criminally charged. He was not deposed in the Giuffre v. Maxwell civil case. He was not a witness in the 2021 Maxwell criminal trial.

His relationship with Maxwell has been publicly reported in:

• Daily Mail (UK), Jan 10, 2015: "Computer billionaire Ted Waitt, with whom she stepped out briefly in 2011" (EFTA01402237) — note: this characterization of "briefly in 2011" is inaccurate; the actual relationship ended September 2010 and ran 6.5 years
• The Daily Beast (Jul 2020): "The Other Billionaire Who Jeffrey Epstein Accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell Keeps Name-Dropping" (thedailybeast.com)
• Anna Pasternak, "Ghislaine Maxwell and the complicated love life of a she-devil" (annapasternak.co.uk) — claims Maxwell helped Waitt acquire and decorate the 240-foot superyacht Plan B with a helipad and crew of 25, on which they traveled to France and Croatia
• Sioux City Journal (May 13, 2026): "Epstein files reveal new details of Ted Waitt's relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell" (siouxcityjournal.com)
• Sioux City Journal (May 13, 2026): "Gateway co-founder Ted Waitt: Epstein was 'off-putting,' not aware of Maxwell wrongdoing" (siouxcityjournal.com)
• NewsNation (May 13, 2026): "Ghislaine Maxwell's billionaire ex-boyfriend testifies" (newsnationnow.com)
• KTIV-TV Sioux City (Apr 30, 2026): testimony day coverage (ktiv.com)

Conflict Note — Yacht name and vessel chronology. The yacht commonly named in published reports as Maxwell-renovated for Waitt is Plan B, a 240-foot vessel — not "Bordeaux" (which is a separate Waitt vessel). The April 30, 2026 transcript does not mention either name. The "Plan B" name is preserved in the corpus: EFTA02333151 (2005 Plan B conference-call agendas) and EFTA01684802 p.2035 (Feb 2010 AMEX charge for Plan B cushions). There is a vessel-chronology tension to flag: the 240-foot superyacht Plan B indexed in public registries (IMO 9650602) carries a 2012 build/delivery date — which means the 2005 and 2010 corpus references to "Plan B" are either to an earlier Waitt vessel of the same name or to a project/entity name, not to the 2012-built superyacht the press describes. Any account placing Maxwell aboard a single "Plan B" continuously from the early 2000s through the 2010s should be treated as conflating at least two distinct objects until the corpus references can be tied to a hull. The "boat with helipad" testimony in the corpus is Larry Visoski (Epstein's pilot) on cross-examination at the Maxwell trial: "completing a boat that she [Maxwell] was involved in decorating and building a helipad on it" — EFTA00068582 p.146; Visoski's account is undated in the transcript and cannot be assumed to refer to the 2012-built Plan B.

15. DEPOSITION QUESTIONS — FOLLOWUP

The April 30 interview took ~3 hours 16 minutes and was bounded by the witness's "I do not recall" responses on most specifics. The following questions are unanswered by the existing record and should be put to Waitt — in a subpoena setting if necessary — should the committee re-engage.

Block 1: The Money (5 questions)

1. "You wired $30,000 a month from your Wells Fargo account to 116 East 65th Street LLC for approximately two years. The LLC was controlled by Darren Indyke — Epstein's attorney and now the estate's co-executor. What did your accountants and legal team tell you about the entity structure receiving your payments?"
   - Evidence: EFTA01516438 (June 2008 wire); EFTA01516695 (Jan 2010 wire)
   - Why: Tests whether Waitt's claim that he didn't know Indyke controlled the LLC (Transcript p. 63) survives professional due diligence

2. "In September 2010 you wired $7,211,238 to Ghislaine Maxwell's personal J.P. Morgan account. You testified this figure reflected a gift tax deduction from a round number. What was the round number, and on what date did you and your tax advisors determine the exact amount?"
   - Evidence: EFTA01523987
   - Why: A "palimony settlement" structure was acknowledged, but the documentation chain was deferred to "my finance and legal team" (Transcript p. 94). Congress should request the gift tax return.

3. "Ms. Maxwell had a sub-account under your AMEX Centurion relationship until September 2010. What was the credit limit on her sub-card? What was her monthly average charge? Did your accountants flag any unusual expenditures?"
   - Evidence: EFTA01654870 (FBI AMEX analysis); EFTA01684802 (statement file showing joint travel)
   - Why: Sub-account access is unusual and the committee did not address it

4. "The 116 East 65th Street LLC paid bills including ADP payroll for Maxwell's domestic staff using your monthly wires. Did you know that the staff — driver and housekeeper — were on payroll through this LLC, or did you assume they were Ms. Maxwell's personal employees?"
   - Evidence: All J.P. Morgan statements EFTA01516438 onward show "ADP TX/Fincl Svc ADP - Tax" payments alongside the Waitt wire deposits

5. "Beyond the documented $720,000 monthly payments and $7.21M lump sum, did you make any other transfers to Ms. Maxwell, to her family members, to her brothers Kevin or Ian Maxwell, or to any of her business ventures including TerraMar Project, Ellmax LLC, or her Belgravia/London properties?"
   - Why: The committee asked only about the documented payments. The financial picture is broader.

Block 2: The Discala / Rothstein Approach (5 questions)

6. "A.J. Discala approached you and your 'right-hand person who ran my family office' with Scott Rothstein's settlement proposal. Who was the family-office head? Was it John Discala (per EFTA01106213 p. 21)? And what was AJ Discala's relationship to John?"
   - Why: Waitt said the proposal "would never have made it to my desk if it wasn't somebody that I knew" (Transcript p. 98)

7. "In your October 16, 2009 email to Ms. Maxwell, you wrote: 'Got to be related somehow to the guy that subpoenaed you.' This means in October 2009 you knew Ms. Maxwell had been subpoenaed in connection with Mr. Epstein. What did you understand about the subpoena and what did you advise her?"
   - Evidence: EFTA02029154

8. "In your July 23, 2009 email about the Clockwork investment, you described it as 'a sexual harrassment case that could be set-up, or blackmail.' What gave you the impression these civil suits could be 'set-up'?"
   - Evidence: EFTA02002828
   - Why: This characterization aligns precisely with Epstein's own defensive framing of Edwards's lawsuits

9. "Ms. Maxwell told DOJ in 2025 that your breakup 'couldn't survive the blackmail threats' from Mr. Rothstein. You disagree. What did your staff tell Ms. Maxwell in September 2010 was the reason for your decision to end the relationship?"
   - Evidence: Transcript p. 59; Waitt staff handled "final negotiations" per Transcript p. 94

10. "Why was the Discala email about you ('108-09 EM fr DiScala to Von Allmen re Ted Waitt') in Jeffrey Epstein's personal files?"

    • Evidence: EFTA01868716

Block 3: The Children (3 questions)

11. "Your three daughters were ages 8, 11, and 14 when Ms. Maxwell entered your household in 2004, and 14, 17, and 20 when the relationship ended in 2010. Did any of them ever express discomfort about Ms. Maxwell? Have you spoken with them about Ms. Maxwell since her 2021 conviction?"

    • Why: The transcript opened on this point but the committee went off the record (Transcript pp. 19-20)

12. "Were any of your children ever introduced to or alone with Jeffrey Epstein?"

    • Why: Waitt categorically denied himself going to Epstein's properties — but the question was not asked about the children

13. "You testified your daughter Emily saw Ms. Maxwell at an airport once. When was this? Have any of your children been contacted by FBI, SDNY, or any Maxwell defense team?"

Block 4: The Hong Kong Dinner Network (4 questions)

14. "Doug Band invited you to the November 2003 Hong Kong dinner. You said you 'texted Doug Band' (Transcript p. 80). How did you have Doug Band's mobile number in November 2003?"

    • Why: Waitt had met Clinton only once or twice before this point

15. "How many other dinners or events did Doug Band invite you to between 1998 and 2010?"

    • Why: Tests the depth of the Band-Waitt-Clinton circuit

16. "You testified Ghislaine Maxwell was on the Asia tsunami/AIDS trip with you and President Clinton (Transcript p. 101, 107). How did Ms. Maxwell get on that trip — did you invite her, was she invited separately, did Clinton or Band invite her?"

    • Why: Establishes whether Waitt was the conduit

17. "You said Ms. Maxwell told you she was 'minimizing those activities' for Epstein after you began dating (Transcript p. 24). Did she ever tell you, before 2010, that she had completely stopped working for him?"

Block 5: The FBI Tips (3 questions)

18. "Two anonymous callers contacted the FBI within weeks of Ms. Maxwell's July 2020 arrest specifically naming you. The FBI did not interview you. Have you, or anyone acting for you, communicated with the FBI, DOJ, or SDNY at any point between 2008 and your April 30, 2026 House Oversight interview?"

    • Evidence: EFTA01245005, EFTA01249691
    • Why: The transcript only addressed whether FBI initiated contact

19. "In or around 2007/2008, Ms. Maxwell interviewed a former 6-year executive assistant of hers in California for a project manager position with you. The position was described as 'labor intensive.' What was the project? Who else did Ms. Maxwell interview for that role and others?"

    • Evidence: EFTA00083803

20. "In an October 2004 email, Ms. Maxwell wrote you that she 'exacted' a price for her car and 'funding of the three 18-year-olds' trip.' You replied 'Do tell, you naughty girl.' Who were the three 18-year-olds, what trip, and what 'price' did Ms. Maxwell exact?"

    • Evidence: EFTA02333082
    • Why: Waitt's "I don't recall" answer was accepted without follow-up

16. COUNTER-STRATEGIES

Likely Defense Posture

Waitt's counsel — Ashley Callen and Jon Skladany of Jenner & Block, both former DOJ prosecutors — successfully framed the April 30 interview around three principles:

1. No firsthand knowledge of crimes. Waitt repeatedly stated he had no direct knowledge of any abuse and no contact with any victim; this was accepted.
2. The "I do not recall" baseline. Standard memory-protection on dates, details, and conversations more than 15 years old.
3. Counsel intervention. Callen frequently went off the record before sensitive questions about family, children, and sexual orientation, then reframed Waitt's response.

He did not invoke privilege. He did not plead the Fifth. He is not a defendant in any case.

Counter-Strategies

Going Around Him

If the committee wants substantive financial information beyond what Waitt provided, the same data is available from:

• Wells Fargo Bank (routing 121000248) — Waitt's primary bank for the $30,000 monthly wires and $7.21M payment
• J.P. Morgan Chase — held the 116 East 65th Street LLC account and Maxwell's personal account; already subpoenaed for the EFTA production
• American Express — held the Waitt-Maxwell sub-account; the FBI AMEX analysis is at EFTA01654870
• TAG Aviation — operated Waitt's Gulfstream V (N401WJ)
• Avalon Capital Group records — for travel, expenditures, and Maxwell-related Avalon obligations
• The Waitt Foundation and Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention — IRS Form 990 filings disclose major gifts and personnel; Maxwell's recruitment of staff for these orgs (if any) could be cross-referenced

17. SOURCE RELIABILITY MATRIX

18. CROSS-REFERENCES TO EXISTING REPORTS

METHODOLOGY

• Corpus search: FTS5 + LIKE queries against full_text_corpus.db (6.3GB, 1,416,711 docs, 2,914,901 pages); 557 documents reference Waitt by surname
• Transcript review: Direct reading of all 117 pages of HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_TRANSCRIPT_WAITT_2026-04-30 from the corpus (corpus OCR; original PDF at justice/oversight.house.gov uses a broken-CMap font requiring OCR)
• EFTA verification: Every EFTA cited was verified against the documents table; dataset confirmed; existence confirmed in corpus
• External verification: News sources cited with URLs; Wikipedia cross-checked against official Oversight Committee releases
• Victim privacy: No victim names included; allegations referenced by EFTA number only
• Cross-references: Cross-referenced against the Indyke, Kahn, and Bill Clinton briefs

EFTA URLs follow the pattern:

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%20{N}/EFTA{NUMBER}.pdf

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT documents (DS99) and the Waitt transcript are linked to the Oversight Committee public release.

Prepared for House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. All EFTA citations verified against the DOJ production database. Financial figures from source document text layers. External claims sourced with URLs. Voluntary witness; not under subpoena. No victim names included.