- Lesley Groff, Jeffrey Epstein's formar aidr said he was a master manipulator hiding his criminal life
- Groff managed Epstein's schedule but was unaware of his sexual abuse crimes
- She arranged massages, believing the women were professional therapists
A longtime assistant of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has described him as a master manipulator who was skilled at controlling people and keeping different parts of his life hidden from those around him.
Lesley Groff, who served as Epstein's executive assistant from 2001 to 2019, told members of the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday that she was unaware of his sexual abuse crimes and believed she was only handling routine administrative work.
Groff described Epstein as a "master manipulator" who kept his criminal activities hidden from those working closely with him, according to CNN.
"Mr. Epstein was, in hindsight, a master manipulator and deceiver who separated his legitimate life from his secret life as an abuser, and made sure, that as his secretary, those two worlds did not collide," she said.
Groff is considered one of the most important witnesses in Congress' investigation because she was deeply involved in managing Epstein's day-to-day affairs.
During her testimony, Groff said she regularly called women to arrange massage appointments for Epstein but insisted she believed they were professional massage therapists. She said the calls were usually brief and limited to scheduling. She told lawmakers that she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing at the time.
Groff told lawmakers that none of the women she contacted ever told her they were underage or had been sexually abused. "Nothing I heard or saw led me to believe otherwise. I would have never remained silent, if I knew of Epstein's crimes," she said.
"I believe them. Words cannot express how badly I felt that I was employed by Mr. Epstein during the time he abused these women. I will live with this horrible feeling for the rest of my life," she added.
In her opening statement, Groff said she now views Epstein as a "monster" who carefully separated his public life from his secret activities. "I want to say without any doubt that I have come to believe the man who employed me from February of 2001 through July of 2019 was a monster," Groff said.
During the hour-long interview, Groff also told lawmakers that she was never sexually abused by Epstein. She said she did not depend on the job financially and therefore had no reason to ignore wrongdoing if she had known about it.
Groff further testified that both Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, discouraged her from becoming involved in their personal or professional relationships. She said they repeatedly told her that their dealings with friends, associates and guests were none of her business.
Since Epstein's arrest in 2019, Groff told lawmakers that many friends have distanced themselves from her. She has received death threats and members of her family have faced harassment because of her association with the disgraced financier.
Epstein, who was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls, died in a New York jail while awaiting trial.
