In 2011 — three years after Jeffrey Epstein plead guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution of a minor — Microsoft founder Bill Gates started communicating with him extensively.

The disgraced billionaire and philanthropist is being grilled by investigators from Congress’ House Oversight Committee this week over his ties to the deceased sex criminal, with lawmakers trying to figure out how far their relationship went.

As the New York Times reports, Gates is seemingly pulling out all the stops to rescue his tarnished brand, a fall from grace that’s putting his $89 billion global health fund, the Gates Foundation, in jeopardy.

On Wednesday, Gates claimed Epstein had used information about several extramarital affairs Gates publicly admitted to in February against him — an eyebrow-raising excuse that could invite renewed scrutiny over his claims.

“As the public can now see, based on what has been released in the files, Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities,” Gates said in a Wednesday statement released by one of his representatives, as quoted by the NYT.

It certainly won’t erase the fact that Gates isn’t exactly the victim here. For one, Gates kept in touch with Epstein for years despite the latter’s conviction being widely known to the public. According to the Epstein files, Gates not only had affairs with two different Russian women, but “surreptitiously” tried to give his then wife antibiotics to protect her from a sexually-transmitted infection he had contracted.

Epstein was known for finding leverage with his extremely wealthy clients, for instance, threatening to release incriminating documents involving “gang stuff” and hush money related to sexual assault accusations.

Epstein also drafted a 2013 email in which he made references to the “morally inappropriate” work he had supposedly done for Gates, from procuring antibiotics to dealing with the “consequences of sex with Russian girls.”

The controversial relationship likely proved ruinous for Gates’ relationship with his now ex wife. He and Melinda French Gates announced they were divorcing in May 2021, roughly two years after Gates’ extensive relationship with Epstein first came to light.

His charitable foundation has also suffered greatly as a result of the fallout, prompting an external review of Gates’ ties to the deceased sex offender.

“In the work I do, reputation is the basis for developing partnerships that save lives,” Gates said in the statement this week. “Meeting with Epstein was a grave error in judgment and put this work at risk.”

Gates also addressed the fact that he had meetings with Epstein starting in 2011, three years after Epstein’s conviction as a sex criminal, and lasting until 2014.

“I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed,” Gates claimed in his statement. “I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have.”

More on Gates: Investigators Questioning Bill Gates Over Ties to Jeffrey Epstein