Jack Lang, a former French culture minister, has resigned as head of a major Paris cultural institution following allegations of past financial links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which have triggered a tax investigation in France.
Lang, 86, stepped down from his role as president of the Arab World Institute after being summoned by the French foreign ministry, which oversees the institute. Instead of attending the meeting on Sunday, he submitted his resignation, officials said.
Lang is the highest-profile figure in France to face fallout from the release of the so-called Epstein files by the US Department of Justice on January 30.
He is widely known for serving as culture minister under former president François Mitterrand during the 1980s and 1990s.
France’s financial prosecutors have opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline, over alleged aggravated laundering of tax fraud.
The probe follows reports of financial and business links between the Lang family and Jeffrey Epstein through an offshore company registered in the US Virgin Islands.
Investigative news outlet Mediapart reported that Lang’s name appeared more than 600 times in the Epstein-related documents, pointing to occasional communication between 2012 and 2019.
His daughter’s name also appeared in the released files.
Lang’s lawyer, Laurent Merlet, told RTL radio that his client was deeply upset about leaving the position but chose to resign to protect the institute.
He said Lang denies the allegations and considers them inaccurate.
The French foreign ministry confirmed Lang’s resignation and said Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has begun the process of appointing a successor.
Lang had led the Arab World Institute since 2013 and was one of France’s most recognisable cultural figures for decades.
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