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Ted Waitt Transcript: Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Money, Access, and the Questions Congress Finally Asked

Updated
ByEpsteinWiki

Snapshot

Ted Waitt appeared for a voluntary transcribed interview before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on April 30, 2026. The committee released the 117 page transcript on May 13, 2026, as part of its review of the federal government response to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The interview matters because Waitt was Ghislaine Maxwell’s long term romantic partner from roughly 2004 to 2010, during the period when Epstein was arrested, pleaded guilty in Florida, served work release, and continued to remain socially connected to powerful people. (Oversight Committee)

This EpsteinWiki entry documents what Waitt testified, what the evidence files show, and what remains unresolved. It does not claim that Waitt committed a crime. It does show that Maxwell had access to his homes, staff, aircraft, financial support, and elite social network during a critical window in the Epstein case.

Why This Transcript Matters

The Waitt transcript is important because it fills in one of the biggest gaps around Ghislaine Maxwell’s life after Epstein’s first major public legal exposure. Waitt testified that he first met Maxwell and Epstein at a 2003 dinner in Hong Kong where Bill Clinton was present. He later began dating Maxwell and remained involved with her until 2010. That relationship overlaps with Epstein’s Palm Beach investigation, the 2007 non prosecution agreement, the 2008 plea deal, Epstein’s jail and work release period, and the years when Maxwell publicly minimized or denied her role.

For researchers, this interview is not just about romance. It is about access. Maxwell was not isolated after Epstein’s public fall. According to Waitt’s testimony and related evidence files, she was still moving through elite circles, using private aircraft, receiving financial support, staying in high value residences, interacting with household staff, and appearing at political and social events. That is why this transcript belongs in the EpsteinWiki knowledge base.

Key Takeaways

  1. Ted Waitt appeared voluntarily for a House Oversight transcribed interview on April 30, 2026, and the transcript was released publicly on May 13, 2026.
  2. The committee requested Waitt’s testimony because it was reviewing federal handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases, sex trafficking enforcement, influence networks, and possible ethics issues.
  3. Waitt testified that he met Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in November 2003 at a dinner in Hong Kong where Bill Clinton was present.
  4. Waitt testified that he began a romantic relationship with Maxwell in early 2004 and ended it in September 2010.
  5. Waitt denied meeting Maxwell before November 2003, even though the committee raised a prior witness statement suggesting a possible earlier timeline.
  6. Waitt said Epstein knew about his romantic relationship with Maxwell, but Waitt did not know when or how Epstein learned about it.
  7. Waitt described one early private interaction with Epstein at Maxwell’s New York residence, where Epstein asked about his investments and Waitt said he felt Epstein was “feeling me out.”
  8. Waitt testified that he never really had a relationship with Epstein and said he did not communicate with Epstein by phone or email.
  9. Waitt testified that Maxwell described her work for Epstein as estate management and property management, including hiring housekeepers, chefs, drivers, and handling maintenance.
  10. Waitt said he made monthly payments to support Maxwell’s residence, staff, and expenses, and the committee estimated those payments at about $720,000.
  11. Epstein Data evidence file EFTA01516438 shows a June 2008 $30,000 Fed Wire credit from Theodore W Waitt to 116 East 65th St LLC.
  12. Epstein Data evidence file EFTA01523987 shows a September 24, 2010 Fed Wire credit of $7,211,238 from Theodore W Waitt to Ghislaine Maxwell.
  13. Epstein Data evidence file EFTA01654870 states that Maxwell had a sub account under a Theodore W Waitt American Express account relationship, with September 2010 listed as the last statement in which Maxwell was included.
  14. Epstein Data evidence file EFTA00576843 documents a 2005 Avalon Capital Group aircraft itinerary involving Waitt and Maxwell, including travel through West Palm Beach and Exuma.
  15. Two 2020 FBI National Threat Operations Center tips named Waitt as someone investigators should speak to, but Waitt testified that law enforcement never questioned him about Maxwell or Epstein.

What Waitt Said About Meeting Maxwell and Epstein

Waitt testified that he first met both Maxwell and Epstein at a November 2003 dinner in Hong Kong. He said Doug Band invited him to the dinner after Waitt saw that President Clinton was also in Hong Kong. Waitt said Clinton was at the dinner, Maxwell and Epstein were there, and Waitt later exchanged contact information with Maxwell.

The timeline matters because a prior witness statement raised by the committee suggested that Waitt and Maxwell may have been seen as a couple in 2001 or 2002. Waitt rejected that timeline and testified that he did not meet Maxwell until November 2003. The record therefore contains an unresolved timeline conflict, but the transcript itself shows Waitt standing by the 2003 start point.

What Waitt Said About His Relationship With Maxwell

Waitt described his relationship with Maxwell as a serious long term romantic relationship that began in early 2004 and ended in 2010. He also testified that Maxwell became close to his children. In his opening statement, he said that if he had known then what he later learned about Maxwell, he would not have allowed her around his four children.

Waitt said the relationship ended because he knew he was not going to marry Maxwell and because the relationship had run its course. When committee staff raised Maxwell’s reported claim that the breakup was tied to blackmail threats involving Scott Rothstein, Waitt denied that the Rothstein matter caused the breakup.

What Waitt Said About Epstein

Waitt repeatedly minimized his relationship with Epstein. He testified that he interacted with Epstein fewer than five times and described those contacts as brief. The most significant contact he described was an early meeting at Maxwell’s residence, where Epstein asked him questions about investments. Waitt testified that the exchange felt odd and that he had the sense Epstein was “feeling me out.”

Waitt also testified that Epstein remained a continuous presence in Maxwell’s life. He said Maxwell looked up to Epstein and that he was uncomfortable with Epstein’s influence over her. At the same time, Waitt said he did not know the specific details of Epstein’s 2008 conviction at the time and later wished he had done more research.

Money and Financial Support

The money trail is one of the most important parts of the Waitt record. In the transcript, committee counsel discussed monthly payments that were estimated at about $720,000 in total. Waitt testified that the payments were for what he felt was his share of Maxwell’s residence and to help with expenses for staff and the house. He said he kept clothes and an office at the 65th Street residence and spent time there.

Epstein Data evidence file EFTA01516438 supports the existence of these payments by showing a June 2, 2008 Fed Wire credit of $30,000 from Theodore W Waitt to 116 East 65th St LLC.

The final payment is even more significant. Epstein Data evidence file EFTA01523987 shows a September 24, 2010 Fed Wire credit of $7,211,238 from Theodore W Waitt to Ghislaine Maxwell. Waitt described the payment in the transcript as a settlement style payment after the breakup.

Credit Card and Account Access

Epstein Data evidence file EFTA01654870 is a July 1, 2020 FBI New York Field Office forensic accountant email about the American Express production. The document states that the production included three Maxwell related account relationships. One was Theodore W Waitt, and the memo says Maxwell had a sub account under that relationship. It also states that September 2010 was the last statement in which Maxwell was included.

This matters because it shows that Maxwell’s access to Waitt’s financial infrastructure continued through the same month as the breakup and the $7,211,238 wire.

Aircraft and Travel Evidence

Epstein Data evidence file EFTA00576843 documents a TAG Aviation passenger itinerary for a Gulfstream V aircraft with tail number N401WJ, requested by Avalon Capital Group Inc. The itinerary covers June 27, 2005, through July 3, 2005. The record shows travel involving Waitt and Maxwell through West Palm Beach, Exuma, Abaco, Jacksonville, Vancouver, Victoria, Teterboro, and San Diego.

This itinerary does not show Waitt on Epstein’s aircraft. It does not show abuse. It does show that Maxwell had access to travel infrastructure connected to Waitt during the broader period when Epstein and Maxwell remained under scrutiny.

Household Staff and Operational Access

Waitt testified that Maxwell described her role for Epstein as estate management and property management. He understood that to mean hiring housekeepers, chefs, and drivers, as well as handling maintenance and decor.

That detail matters because Maxwell’s operational role in Epstein’s world was not limited to social introductions. The transcript places staff hiring and property management at the center of what Waitt understood Maxwell to do for Epstein.

Epstein Data evidence file EFTA00579058 also shows Maxwell writing to Waitt in April 2004 that she was working on finding someone to work for him and had potential candidates. That evidence links Maxwell’s staff finding role not only to Epstein’s properties, but also to Waitt’s household ecosystem.

The Three 18 Year Olds Email

Epstein Data evidence file EFTA02333082 contains an October 2004 email thread in which Maxwell wrote about the “price” she exacted for her car and funding of a trip involving three 18 year olds. Waitt replied, “Do tell, you naughty girl.”

This is an unresolved evidence point. It does not prove trafficking or abuse. It does, however, deserve cataloging because it appears in the Epstein files, involves Maxwell, references young adults, and was significant enough to be discussed in the congressional review.

The Rothstein Blackmail Thread

The transcript also covers a Rothstein related issue. Scott Rothstein was a Florida lawyer later convicted in a major Ponzi scheme. Waitt testified that Rothstein presented a financial proposal through an associate and that Waitt thought it looked like a scam.

Epstein Data evidence file EFTA02029153 preserves a 2011 email in which Maxwell summarized the Rothstein issue to Epstein. In that email chain, Maxwell wrote that Waitt said he was being blackmailed and that he did not pay anything. Waitt told Congress that the alleged blackmail issue was not the reason his relationship with Maxwell ended.

FBI Tips and Missed Follow Up

Two Epstein Data evidence files show that the FBI received tips in 2020 naming Waitt.

The first is EFTA01245005, a July 2, 2020 FBI intake record from an anonymous caller. The caller said law enforcement should speak to Ted Waitt and Ron Burkle. The caller also described Maxwell as someone in charge of getting girls, but the record is an intake tip, not a proven finding.

The second is EFTA01249691, a July 2020 FBI intake record from Peter Nomikos. Nomikos described a dinner at Maxwell’s townhouse and gave impressions about Maxwell, Epstein, and Waitt.

During the congressional interview, Waitt testified that law enforcement had never approached or questioned him about Maxwell’s crimes or Epstein’s crimes. That is one of the central accountability questions raised by the transcript.

What This Article Does Not Claim

This article does not claim that Ted Waitt knew about Epstein’s abuse. It does not claim that Waitt participated in trafficking. It does not claim that his payments to Maxwell were criminal. It does not claim that his aircraft itinerary proves contact with Epstein properties.

What the record does show is that Waitt was close to Maxwell during a critical period, gave her major financial support, shared social and travel infrastructure with her, and was later named in FBI intake tips that apparently did not result in law enforcement questioning. That makes the transcript a key document for understanding how Maxwell remained socially protected and operationally connected after Epstein’s first major legal exposure.

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