PARIS — Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang has resigned as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris after allegations of past financial links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein led to a tax investigation, French authorities said.Lang, 86, submitted his resignation ahead of a scheduled meeting Sunday at the Foreign Ministry, which oversees the Arab World Institute.The ministry confirmed his resignation late Saturday.The French financial prosecutor’s office said it has opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, on suspicion of aggravated money laundering linked to tax fraud.Lang’s lawyer, Laurent Merlet, said his client strongly denies the allegations and described them as inaccurate.“He is very sad and deeply hurt to be leaving a position he loves,” Merlet told RTL radio. “He put the interests of the Arab World Institute first.”Lang is the highest-profile French figure affected by the release of documents related to Epstein that were made public by the US Justice Department on Jan. 30.He is a prominent cultural and political figure in France, best known for serving as culture minister under former Socialist President François Mitterrand in the 1980s and 1990s.Investigative news outlet Mediapart reported last week on alleged financial and business ties between members of the Lang family and Epstein through an offshore company registered in the US Virgin Islands.According to the released US documents, Lang’s name appears more than 600 times, reflecting intermittent correspondence between 2012 and 2019. His daughter’s name was also cited in the files.Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he had taken note of Lang’s resignation and had begun procedures to appoint a successor.Lang had led the Arab World Institute since 2013. The institution is a major cultural center in Paris dedicated to promoting dialogue and understanding between France and the Arab world.
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