PARIS — French police searched the Arab World Institute Monday as part of a tax-fraud investigation involving former French culture minister Jack Lang. Prosecutors say the operation followed the release of millions of new “Epstein files” in the United States, renewing scrutiny of Jack Lang’s past links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, Feb. 17, 2026.
France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, known by its French acronym PNF, said the institute was among several locations searched. Details of the raid were first reported in a Reuters account of the searches, which said the preliminary inquiry also targets Jack Lang’s daughter, Caroline Lang, on suspicion of tax fraud.
Jack Lang, 86, led the Arab World Institute from 2013 until he resigned earlier this month amid the growing controversy. The institute, a Paris-based cultural and research center overseen by France’s Foreign Ministry, said it could not immediately comment on the police action. Jack Lang and Caroline Lang have repeatedly denied wrongdoing and deny receiving financial benefits tied to Epstein.
Jack Lang tax-fraud probe: what investigators are looking at
French prosecutors have not detailed what records or transactions they suspect are at the heart of the case against Jack Lang and Caroline Lang, beyond describing it as a preliminary tax-fraud investigation. In France, such inquiries often begin with document seizures and interviews aimed at establishing whether evidence justifies formal charges.
What is clear is the catalyst: U.S. authorities released a large tranche of Epstein-related material Jan. 30, prompting renewed media scrutiny of Jack Lang’s contacts with Epstein and the finances of people in Epstein’s orbit. Jack Lang has acknowledged past contact with Epstein but has said he did not know about Epstein’s criminal conduct and has repeatedly denied receiving any financial benefits.
Jack Lang’s lawyer, Laurent Merlet, has said there was “no movement of funds” and that Jack Lang would show he was not involved in any criminal wrongdoing. Prosecutors have not said what they believe Jack Lang or Caroline Lang may have failed to declare, if anything, and have not announced any charges.
Arab World Institute faces leadership change after Jack Lang steps aside
Pressure on Jack Lang accelerated after the Epstein files began circulating widely in Europe. In an Associated Press report about Jack Lang’s resignation, Merlet said his client was “deeply hurt” to leave but stepped aside to protect the institution’s work and reputation.
With Jack Lang gone, the Arab World Institute’s board moved quickly to nominate a successor. Le Monde reported Tuesday that diplomat Anne-Claire Legendre, President Emmanuel Macron’s adviser on North Africa and the Middle East, was nominated to take over — a move that would make her the first woman to lead the institute in its four-decade history.
Le Monde also reported that Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced an audit of the institute’s financial management and set an age limit for future presidents. Jack Lang, reappointed in 2023 at age 83, had been a prominent public face of the institute’s exhibitions, debates and cultural diplomacy.
Epstein files fallout widens across France and Europe
French prosecutors say the Jack Lang inquiry is only one strand of a broader review of the Epstein files. Paris prosecutors have set up a dedicated team to analyze potential cases stemming from the new disclosures, coordinating with financial prosecutors and national police.
One case already drawing attention centers on a diplomat accused of sharing confidential United Nations documents with Epstein. In a Feb. 11 Reuters report, Barrot said he had notified prosecutors about Fabrice Aidan, a midlevel diplomat whose name appears in more than 200 of the newly released documents and who is suspected of transferring U.N. material to Epstein. Aidan has denied the accusations through his lawyer.
The widening inquiry underscores a key point French officials have emphasized: appearing in the Epstein files, or corresponding with Epstein, does not by itself prove a criminal offense. The Jack Lang case, at least at this stage, is a financial investigation, and prosecutors have not accused Jack Lang of involvement in Epstein’s sex crimes.
Continuity: France’s Epstein investigations did not start this year
France’s justice system has been examining Epstein-related allegations for years. Reuters reported in August 2019 that the Paris prosecutor opened a preliminary inquiry into whether Epstein committed sex crimes on French territory or against underage French victims, following Epstein’s arrest in the United States.
The French investigation later expanded to focus on people accused of helping Epstein recruit or abuse victims. Reuters reported in 2022 that Jean-Luc Brunel, a longtime French modeling agent held in custody in a French probe linked to Epstein, was found dead in his cell, ending proceedings against him.
Those earlier cases now form part of the backdrop to the Jack Lang inquiry. For investigators, the Epstein files may provide fresh leads or corroborating material. For the Arab World Institute, the raid and the resignation of Jack Lang have created a leadership and reputational test at a time when the institute is also facing questions about its finances and future direction.
For now, Jack Lang remains under investigation, not charged. The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office has not said when it expects to decide whether to escalate the case, and Jack Lang has said he will cooperate as he contests what he calls unfounded allegations.
