Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was a superb manipulator who was adept at influencing people and hiding various aspects of his life from those around him, according to a long-time aide.
Members of the House Oversight Committee were informed on Tuesday by Lesley Groff, who worked as Epstein's executive assistant from 2001 to 2019, that she didn't know about his sexual assault charges and thought she was just doing standard administrative tasks.
According to CNN, Groff called Epstein a "master manipulator" who concealed his illegal acts from people who worked closely with him."Mr. Epstein was, in hindsight, a master manipulator and deceiver who separated his legitimate life from his secret life as an abuser, and made sure, that as his secretary, those two worlds did not collide," she stated.
Groff was heavily involved in overseeing Epstein's daily operations, making her one of the most significant witnesses in Congress's probe.
Groff testified that she frequently called ladies to schedule massages for Epstein, but she maintained that she thought they were licensed massage therapists. According to her, the calls were typically short and focused mostly on scheduling. She informed lawmakers that she was unaware of any wrongdoing at the time.

Groff told legislators that none of the women she spoke with ever disclosed to her that they were sexually molested or minors. "I didn't see or hear anything that made me think otherwise. If I had been aware of Epstein's wrongdoings, I would never have kept quiet," she remarked.I trust them. There are no words to describe how horrible it was for me to work for Mr. Epstein as he mistreated these ladies. For the rest of my life, I will have to deal with this terrible feeling," she continued.Groff stated in her opening remarks that she now sees Epstein as a "monster" who kept his private and public lives apart.

Groff also told legislators during the hour-long session that Epstein had never sexually assaulted her. She said that since she was not financially dependent on the work, she had no motive to overlook misconduct if she had been aware of it.
Groff additionally stated in her testimony that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's long-time associate, and Epstein both dissuaded her from getting involved in their personal or professional relationships. She claimed that they kept telling her that their interactions with friends, coworkers, and visitors were unrelated to her.
Groff told lawmakers that she has lost a lot of friends since Epstein's 2019 arrest. Because of her connection to the disgraced banker, she has been threatened with death and her family members have been harassed.Epstein passed away in a New York jail while awaiting trial after being detained on federal sex trafficking allegations involving minors.