The attorney general of New Mexico on Wednesday filed a federal civil lawsuit against the co-executors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's estate, seeking to prevent the two men -- Epstein's former lawyer and accountant -- from profiting after Epstein's death "from the illegal activity that they enabled and furthered," according to the court filing.
"Through this action, the State seeks to hold these individuals accountable to the fullest extent possible and to ensure that Epstein's assets are distributed to the survivors of his horrific crimes," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez wrote in the complaint.
The complaint names Epstein's former attorney, Darren Indyke, and his former accountant, Richard Kahn, as defendants. The attorney general alleges that the two men were "enmeshed in the functioning" of Epstein's enterprise and provided "more than ordinary legal and accounting services."
Indyke and Kahn have denied any knowledge or participation in Epstein's trafficking. Both men testified before the House Oversight Committee earlier this year.
Epstein owned a sprawling property, known as Zorro Ranch, in a remote area outside Santa Fe. Several alleged Epstein victims have alleged being sexually abused at the ranch.
"This was not Jeffrey Epstein alone, and if you really boil down the core of the civil complaint that we have filed today, it is, I think, at its heart, a recognition of the fact that none of this could be done by just one man," Torrez said at a news conference Wednesday. "This was something that was facilitated, that was made possible by handlers, by lawyers, by accountants, by others who have yet to face real consequences, and it is in keeping with a commitment to try and right that wrong that we have taken the steps that we are taking today."
"My abuse did not happen in isolation. It could not have continued for as long as it did without people facilitating it, looking the other way, or choosing to do nothing to stop it," said Epstein survivor Anouska De Georgiou. "Accountability cannot end with Epstein and Maxwell. It must extend to those who knowingly made their abuse possible, especially those who stand to profit from it."
"I want to make something very clear: Epstein didn't act alone," survivor Julia Molchanova said. "This lawsuit seeks answers about the people who helped him and the roles they played. I believe these answers are long overdue."
"Messrs. Indyke and Kahn 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's attorney, Dan Weiner, said in a statement. "Not a single woman has ever accused Mr. Indyke or Mr. Kahn of committing sexual abuse or witnessing sexual abuse, nor claimed at any time that she or anyone else reported to them any allegation of Mr. Epstein's abuse. The New Mexico Attorney General's complaint does not allege anything to the contrary."
"Neither the New Mexico Attorney General nor anyone from his office asked to speak with Mr. Indyke or Mr. Kahn to seek relevant information from them before filing this baseless lawsuit, raising serious questions about the thoroughness of the Attorney General's investigation and the motivations for his lawsuit," Weiner said. "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."
Indyke and Kahn were chosen by Epstein as the co-executors of his estate in a will he amended two days before his death in 2019. Epstein bequeathed $50 million to Indyke and $25 million to Kahn, though it's unclear if the estate will have the funds to pay its beneficiaries. Since his death Epstein's estate has paid hundreds of millions to survivors and in legal fees, and its assets have dwindled from over $600 million to just over $107 million, according to the latest court filings in probate court in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
After Epstein's 2019 arrest, federal prosecutors asked New Mexico to cease its own investigation of Epstein's activities in New Mexico. The ranch was not searched by federal authorities during the investigations of Epstein or his convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
New Mexico reopened a criminal investigation earlier this year and conducted a search of the ranch property in March. That investigation is ongoing.
Zorro Ranch was sold in 2023 and the current owner is cooperating with law enforcement.