The Dalai Lama said in a statement that he never met or interacted with Jeffrey Epstein, following what he called attempts to connect him to the late sex offender.
"Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the 'Epstein files' are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein," the Tibetan spiritual leader's office said in a news release. "We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness's behalf."
It was not immediately clear what reports or posts the Dalai Lama, 90, was referencing.
The statement comes after the Trump administration'srecent release of filesfrom government investigations into the disgraced financier. The Dalai Lama's work is referenced in some documents, but he has never been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection with the accused sex trafficker.
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The Justice Department released3 million pagesofEpstein fileson Jan. 30. Members of Congress will be able to review unredacted versions of the recordsstarting Feb. 9, according to a letter obtained by USA TODAY.
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Overall, the released files and emails have tied dozens of high-profile people to Epstein, includingPresident Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Elon Musk, among others. None of individuals had been charged with crimes connected to Epstein.
Many of the relationships were already public information. For example, Trump and Epstein werefriendly several decades agobut had a falling out in the 2000s.
Additionally, therecently released filesalso include a former U.S. senator, a Norwegian princess, a NASCAR driver and several wealthy men who did business with Epstein. None have been charged, and their participation in Epstein's orbit in some cases simply indicates they had social or business connections with him.
USA TODAY's Erin Mansfield, Kathryn Palmer, and Jayme Fraser contributed to this report.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dalai Lama says he never met, interacted with Jeffrey Epstein
