New Mexico sues Epstein lawyer and accountant, accusing them of hiding his sex crimes
Both men have denied having any knowledge of Epstein's crimes and their attorney rejected the lawsuit as "categorically false".
**New Mexico sues Epstein lawyer and accountant, accusing them of hiding his sex crimes**
**Prosecutors say Epstein abused victims at his Zorro Ranch in New Mexico with the help of key aides**
Prosecutors in the US state of New Mexico have brought a civil case against two longtime aides of Jeffrey Epstein, accusing the men of benefiting from the late financier’s sex trafficking operation.
Lawyer Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn are the only executors of Epstein’s estate, giving them control over all of his assets and belongings. Both have denied any involvement in his crimes.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez says they were central to covering up abuse at Epstein’s isolated Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe, and that they are still making money while victims continue to seek justice.
The lawsuit is separate from the state’s ongoing criminal investigation into Epstein, which was restarted in February.
A lawyer for Indyke and Kahn told the BBC that they “emphatically reject” the allegations in the suit.
The case was filed in New Mexico on Wednesday under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the New Mexico Racketeering Act.
At a news conference, Torrez said the two men are obstructing efforts by Epstein’s victims to obtain compensation from his fortune, which was estimated at about $635m (£474m) when he died.
“Those resources rightfully belong in the hands of survivors - there should be no distribution of Mr Epstein’s remaining assets to people like Mr Indyke and Mr Kahn for participation in what I think is one of the most horrific criminal enterprises in modern America,” he said.
Both men worked with Epstein for decades and have previously told Congress they were unaware of the crimes he carried out with accomplice Ghislane Maxwell.
Their attorney Daniel Weiner said in a statement to the BBC that “they are confident that they will prevail on the claims asserted against them”.
“Both Mr Indyke and Mr Kahn reject as categorically false the allegations that they knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of women, or that they were aware of Mr Epstein’s actions while they provided legal or accounting services to him,” Weiner said.
He added that the New Mexico prosecutor never asked to speak with either man “before filing this baseless lawsuit”, and that both had “cooperated with any and all investigations when asked to do so”.
The two aides were named co-executors in August 2019 by Epstein, just two days before he killed himself in jail while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges.
He changed his will to place all of his wealth into a trust named for the year of his birth, which the lawyer and accountant would manage.
As executors, Indyke and Kahn agreed to finance compensation packages for survivors that included terms preventing survivors who accepted the money from taking further legal action against them personally. Other claims remain unresolved.
As beneficiaries of the trust, the men could also receive tens of millions of dollars each from whatever is left once the claims are settled.
In his remarks, Torrez said Epstein’s crimes were “made possible by handlers, by lawyers, by accountants, by others who have yet to face real consequence”.
“Jeffrey Epstein did not operate alone, and his death does not end the pursuit of accountability for the people who helped make his crimes possible,” he said.
“Those who allegedly enabled this exploitation should not be allowed to profit from it while survivors continue to live with its consequences,” he added.