Monday, February 16, 2026-French police carried out a high‑profile raid at the Arab World Institute in Paris on Monday as part of an expanding investigation linked to newly released documents tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The action comes amid a broader preliminary probe into alleged financial wrongdoing involving the institute’s former head, ex‑culture minister Jack Lang, and his daughter Caroline. Paris prosecutors have formed a dedicated team to review the so‑called “Epstein files,” which have triggered legal scrutiny across Europe.
The raid was one of several searches connected to the inquiry, which centers on accusations of tax fraud and financial misconduct allegedly linked to Lang’s long‑standing correspondence with Epstein between 2012 and 2019.
Lang resigned from his leadership role at the institute earlier this month amid the controversy but has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct or receiving financial benefits. The Arab World Institute, a cultural institution overseen by France’s foreign ministry, declined to comment on the police operation.
The fallout from the release of millions of internal U.S. Justice Department documents has rippled through European political and cultural circles, prompting multiple investigations and growing public attention. Prosecutors in Paris are now coordinating closely with national police and financial crime units to assess potential cases that stem from the files, underscoring how the disclosures continue to unsettle elites and institutions beyond the United States.
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