Lesley Groff

Lesley Groff worked as Jeffrey Epstein's executive secretary from 2001 until 2019. Her role placed her at the center of his appointment calendar, travel arrangements and communications with visitors. She was named as a potential co-conspirator in the 2007 non-prosecution agreement but has not been criminally charged. She denies knowing about Epstein's abuse.¹²

  Scheduling and office work

In her June 2026 congressional interview, Groff described working at the Helmsley Palace office from 2001 to 2009, followed by other Manhattan offices and eventually the townhouse. She said she arranged meetings and relayed guests' requirements to household staff at Epstein's direction. She also acknowledged scheduling massage appointments earlier in her employment, while saying she did not know they involved abuse or minors.²

The distinction between scheduling and knowledge is central to the inquiry. Investigators questioned her about the appointments and correspondence; Groff maintained that the calls were brief and that she had not understood the underlying conduct. Her account is testimony to be assessed alongside the records and survivors' accounts.²

  The 2007 agreement

The Florida agreement included Groff, Sarah Kellen, Adriana Ross and Nadia Marcinkova in a clause promising not to prosecute potential co-conspirators if Epstein fulfilled its terms. The reach of that clause became a separate legal dispute when Maxwell argued that it barred her New York prosecution. It did not amount to a verdict on Groff's conduct.¹³

Groff told Congress she learned of her inclusion after Epstein's state conviction and had not negotiated the designation herself.²

  2026 testimony and Massie's allegation

On June 9, 2026, Groff sat for a closed-door House Oversight Committee interview. She was not under oath. She told the committee she had been kept "on the outside of his perverted life" and that she would not have stayed silent if she had known of his crimes. She called Epstein a master manipulator. Committee members questioned her about the massage appointments and the people whose details she handled.²

In July, CNN reported that survivors told the network Groff had lied to the committee, and that Oversight staff discussed affidavits. Her attorney, Michael Bachner, said she stands by her testimony.⁴

On August 31, 2026, Rep. Thomas Massie named her on the House floor among people he said should be investigated and prosecuted. The Congressional Record renders her first name "Leslie." He called her "not a victim" and alleged she conspired with Epstein to traffic other women. Those are Massie's allegations; Groff continues to deny knowing participation in abuse.⁵

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  References

  Footnotes

1. Maxwell petition for certiorari, appendix reproducing the NPA language, April 24, 2025 ↩ ↩²

2. Lesley Groff transcribed interview, House Oversight, June 9, 2026, pp. 11–17, 28–30 and 113–114 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Reuters, "Amid Epstein furor, Ghislaine Maxwell seeks relief at U.S. Supreme Court" ↩

4. CNN, "Congress discussing affidavits from Epstein survivors about Lesley Groff" ↩

5. Congressional Record, Aug. 31, 2026, H5349 ↩