Jeffrey Epstein ties spur Wexner Foundation alums to start survivor fund
(RNS) — Rachel Faulkner was working at a Jewish nonprofit that advocates for gender equity when she was selected for a prestigious, three-year professional development fellowship through the Wexner Foundation. Established by retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, the foundation headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, had been highly regarded for its competitive and rigorous fellowships that train midcareer Jewish leaders, both clergy and lay. Faulkner said she had heard that Wexner had ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who once was Wexner’s financial manager, when she accepted the fellowship in 2022. But she was not aware of the extent of the two men’s collaboration. Especially after Wexner’s congressional testimony in February on the heels of the Epstein files’ release, she said, she has now felt the need to distance herself from the foundation and to make amends for her association with Wexner’s foundation. Earlier this month, Faulkner and a handful of other Wexner alumni launched a fund to help survivors of sexual violence and exploitation. The Ashru Fund’s first goal is to raise $100,000 for two nonprofits …
