Hyatt Chair Thomas Pritzker Resigns Over Epstein, Maxwell Ties

The fallout from the Justice Department’s release of Jeffrey Epstein files continues to reshape boardrooms and political institutions worldwide, with billionaire Thomas Pritzker stepping down as executive chair of Hyatt Hotels on Feb. 17 over his ties to the convicted sex offender and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.¹⁷

Pritzker said he exercised “terrible judgment” in maintaining contact with Epstein and Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for recruiting and grooming underage girls.¹ The retirement took effect immediately.⁷ In a statement, Pritzker said “good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”⁷

The resignation marks one of the most prominent corporate departures since the DOJ released its final tranche of Epstein files in late January, revealing connections between the financier and some of the world’s most powerful political and business figures.⁷

Lawmakers Challenge DOJ Over Redactions

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) criticized the Justice Department’s redaction of names in the Epstein files, saying authorities should “stop protecting predators.”⁵ Multiple members of Congress have accused the DOJ of flouting the Epstein Transparency Act in how it released the documents.⁴

The criticism follows the department’s late January document release, which named dozens of individuals connected to Epstein while redacting other names. The DOJ has provided its reasoning for the redactions to Congress.⁵

Wexner Deposition Draws Democratic Criticism

Billionaire Les Wexner, the 88-year-old former owner of Victoria’s Secret, gave a closed-door deposition to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at his home in New Albany, Ohio.³ Democrats on the committee said Wexner downplayed his relationship with Epstein and provided few new details.³

“[Wexner] denied everything, and quite frankly, it would have been nice to see more remorse,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the Oversight Committee’s top Democrat, told reporters midway through the deposition.³

Wexner is named in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department as a “co-conspirator,” though he has not been charged with a crime and has denied any wrongdoing.³

No Republicans on the panel were physically present at the deposition, which Democrats said was led by committee staff.³ Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) was absent.³ A source familiar with the matter noted that Democrats did not attend depositions scheduled for Bill and Hillary Clinton on Capitol Hill in January.³

Family of Accuser Calls U.S. Response “Shameful”

The family of Virginia Giuffre, who has accused multiple associates of Epstein of sexual abuse, called the U.S. government’s response to the Epstein files “shameful.”² The statement came after Prince Andrew was arrested Thursday, Feb. 19, for suspected misconduct in public office stemming from revelations in the files.²

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor marks the first criminal charge against a royal family member connected to the Epstein case.²

UN Rights Experts Demand Accountability

United Nations human rights experts issued a statement demanding accountability in response to the Epstein files, declaring that “no one is too wealthy or too powerful to be above the law.”⁶ The statement was released Tuesday, Feb. 17.⁶

The UN experts’ call for accountability comes as the revelations from the files continue to emerge daily, affecting careers across multiple continents.⁷

References

1. The Guardian — “Hyatt chair Thomas Pritzker steps down over Epstein links”
2. CBS News — “Virginia Giuffre’s family says U.S. government response to Epstein files is ‘shameful’”
3. Axios — “‘Denied everything’: Dems blast Wexner for downplaying Epstein ties”
4. The Hill — “DOJ accused of flouting law in Epstein name dump”
5. PBS — “Khanna says ‘stop protecting predators’ as DOJ gives reasoning for redacting Epstein files”
6. UN News — “Epstein files: ‘No one is too wealthy or too powerful to be above the law’; rights experts demand accountability”
7. Axios — “Epstein files end business, political careers across globe”