New Mexico prosecutors have filed a civil lawsuit against two longtime aides of Jeffrey Epstein, accusing them of profiting from the late financier’s sex trafficking ring. The case names lawyer Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn, who are the sole executors of Epstein’s estate and control all of his wealth and possessions. Both men have denied any role in his crimes.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the pair played a central part in covering up abuse at Epstein’s isolated Zorro Ranch, near the city of Santa Fe. He also said they continue to collect money while victims wait for accountability. The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the New Mexico Racketeering Act.
Lawsuit targets Epstein’s executors and their earnings
The civil action is separate from the state’s criminal investigation into Epstein, which was re-launched in February. Torrez spoke at a news conference, where he argued that the two men are standing in the way of victims seeking compensation from Epstein’s fortune. That fortune was estimated at roughly $635m (£474m) at the time of his death.
Torrez was blunt about where he believes the money should go. “Those resources rightfully belong in the hands of survivors,” he said, adding that there should be no distribution of the remaining assets to Indyke and Kahn for their part in what he called “one of the most horrific criminal enterprises in modern America.”
Executors’ role in estate and compensation payments
Epstein named the two men as co-executors in August 2019, just two days before he took his own life in jail while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges. Shortly before, he had revised his will so that his entire wealth would move into a trust named after the year of his birth. Indyke and Kahn were set to administer that trust.
In their role as executors, the pair agreed to fund compensation packages for survivors. According to the lawsuit’s backers, those packages included conditions that stopped survivors who accepted payment from taking further legal action against the men personally. Other claims remain unresolved. The men could also receive tens of millions of dollars each from whatever is left once those claims are settled.
Torrez said Epstein’s crimes were “made possible by handlers, by lawyers, by accountants, by others who have yet to face real consequence.” He added that Epstein “did not operate alone,” and that his death does not end efforts to hold others to account.
Defence attorneys reject claims and cite cooperation
An attorney representing both men told the that they “emphatically reject” the claims in the lawsuit. Their attorney Daniel Weiner said in a statement that the men are confident they will prevail against the allegations.
Weiner said both men categorically reject the suggestion that they knowingly helped Epstein abuse or traffic women, or that they knew of his actions while providing legal or accounting services. He also said the New Mexico prosecutor never asked to speak with either man before filing what he called a baseless lawsuit. According to Weiner, both men have cooperated with any investigation when asked to do so.
Both men worked with Epstein for decades and have previously told Congress they were unaware of the crimes he committed alongside accomplice Ghislane Maxwell. Those earlier statements have not been tested in the new civil case, and the allegations in the lawsuit remain unproven.
