Financial crime prosecutors in France say they have opened a preliminary inquiry into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Lang, a major figure in French socialist governments between the 1980s and 2000s, is being investigated for suspected laundering of tax fraud proceeds.

It follows the US Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files, which have documented links between the Lang family and the late American sex offender.

Lang, now 86 and head of the Arab World Institute in Paris, denies wrongdoing and has described the allegations against him as baseless.

He told AFP the investigation will bring much light onto the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour.

Lang's daughter Caroline, 64, is also being investigated in the case. Earlier this week, she stepped down as the head of a French film producers' union.

Former French minister Lang is named almost 700 times in the Epstein files and has so far resisted pressure to step down as president of the Arab World Institute.

On Tuesday, he told broadcaster BFMTV he had known nothing about Epstein's crimes when he met him some 15 years ago. The US financier was convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Lang, who served as culture minister between 1981 and 1993 and later as minister of education, says he was introduced to Epstein by US actor-director Woody Allen.

He described Epstein as passionate about art, culture and cinema and noted that he found him to be generous and courteous.

France's foreign minister has summoned Lang for talks on Sunday. Details from the files suggested Lang appealed to Epstein for funds or favours, including the use of Epstein's car and private plane for himself and his family.

Caroline Lang told French news website Mediapart that she met Epstein in 2012, when he expressed a desire to invest in young French and international artists. She mentioned that Epstein's lawyers set up a company, Prytanee LLC, in which she holds half of the shares, although she claims not to have invested in it or received any funds.

The files do not imply that either Lang or his daughter were involved in Epstein's sexual crimes. The latest release of documents shows that individuals named do not automatically imply wrongdoing.

Epstein died in prison in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.