New Mexico attorney general files civil lawsuit against two Epstein advisers

By Kaanita Iyer, MJ Lee, CNN

(CNN) — New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit against two of Jeffrey Epstein’s closest advisers, accusing them of having “facilitated and concealed” Epstein’s crimes.

The advisers, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, have faced scrutiny over their ties to the late sex offender since the Justice Department released files related to Epstein late last year.

Indyke, a longtime Epstein employee and attorney, and Kahn, Epstein’s longtime accountant, are the co-executors of Epstein’s estate. Earlier this year, Torrez’s office began investigating the property Epstein owned in the state, known as Zorro Ranch, after allegations about it were included in files.

The two advisers have denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.

Torrez said during a news conference on Wednesday that the civil lawsuit aims to prevent Indyke and Kahn from getting any money from Epstein’s trust. CNN has previously reported that as part of Epstein’s will, Indyke was left with $50 million and Kahn was left $25 million.

“Frankly, if anyone is entitled to a recovery of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, it’s the survivors,” Torrez said, adding, “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 American history.”

In a statement, Daniel Weiner, a lawyer for Indyke and Kahn, said they “emphatically reject the New Mexico Attorney General’s allegations that they were complicit in or in any way knowingly facilitated Mr. Epstein’s sexual abuse or trafficking – conduct that by all accounts occurred behind closed doors, in secluded locations, and at times when neither Mr. Indyke nor Mr. Kahn was present.”

Indyke and Kahn said during their congressional depositions that they haven’t received any money for their work overseeing the estate. Attorneys for the two previously told CNN that any fee or any bequests from the trust would come only after the estate’s creditors and claimants have been compensated and after the probate is concluded.

The lawsuit alleges that given Indyke and Kahn’s roles as lawyer and accountant, respectively, they were “enmeshed” in the criminal activity and had “personal involvement in countless transactions that facilitated the trafficking and sexual abuse.” It goes on to accuse the two of receiving several benefits for “remaining silent” about Epstein’s crimes, including their salaries, gifts and becoming beneficiaries of Epstein’s estate.

Weiner questioned the thoroughness of the state attorney general’s investigation, saying no one from that office reached out to speak with Indyke or Kahn, and noting that they “have cooperated with any and all investigations when asked to do so.”

Wednesday’s civil lawsuit comes as Indyke and Kahn are also reportedly under federal investigation. They have additionally faced multiple lawsuits from survivors for compensation.

In February, Torrez reopened New Mexico’s criminal investigation into Zorro Ranch after the files released by DOJ included a 2019 email received by a local radio host that alleged that “somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G.”

As part of the probe, New Mexico authorities have searched the property. Torrez has also filed a lawsuit against DOJ and US Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing the department of “hiding information about Epstein and his co-conspirators” and “stonewalling” the state’s investigation.

An Epstein survivor who has been to his Zorro Ranch told CNN she’s “grateful” for the state attorney general’s efforts. “Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn know the truth, and so do we,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy. “I’m ready and willing to help this truth come to light.”

Separately, a bipartisan commission of New Mexico lawmakers are also looking into the allegations of criminal activity surrounding Zorro Ranch and have issued multiple subpoenas, though not to Indyke and Kahn.

Earlier this year, Indyke and Kahn sat for closed-door depositions with the House Oversight Committee, during which they said that they were unaware of Epstein’s crimes, despite having worked for Epstein for decades and being intimately involved in Epstein’s business dealings and finances.

“Let me be clear: I had no knowledge whatsoever of Jeffrey Epstein’s wrongdoings,” said Indyke, who began working for Epstein in 1996, during the March deposition. “My complete lack of involvement in that misconduct is a matter of record. Not a single woman has ever accused me of committing sexual abuse or witnessing sexual abuse, or claimed at any time that she or anyone else reported to me any allegation of Mr. Epstein’s abuse.”

Meanwhile, Kahn, who began working for Epstein in 2005 and said he only saw him approximately every three weeks, then told lawmakers, “We did not interact socially, and I never attended any of his parties of his social functions. While Epstein was alive, I never observed any sexual abuse or trafficking of women and never received a complaint — either by one of Epstein’s victims or anyone else — of such abuse or trafficking.”

Both men also said during the depositions that if they had known about Epstein’s trafficking of women and girls while working for him, they would have cut ties with him immediately.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Em Steck and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.