WASHINGTON, March 20: Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal attorney testified to a House committee that he was unaware of the late financier’s sexual abuse of underage girls at the time it was happening, becoming the latest person connected to Epstein to take that stance.
Darren Indyke, who worked as Epstein’s attorney for roughly two decades, told the House Oversight Committee in his opening statement that he “had had no knowledge whatsoever” of Epstein’s abuse and would have quit working for him if he had known he was trafficking women and underage girls.
Other associates of Epstein, including his former accountant Richard Kahn, one of his largest clients Les Wexner, and former President Bill Clinton, have also told the committee in sworn depositions that they didn’t know about Epstein’s abuse.
Related Posts:
Democrats on the committee aired their frustration during a break from Indyke’s deposition, saying that the lawyer had taken a “defensive” posture in the face of questioning.
Indyke, along with Kahn, are executors of Epstein’s estate, and lawmakers had hoped they would provide details about Epstein’s abuse that would bring accountability. So far, though, lawmakers have struggled to uncover substantive details about the associates of Epstein, who died in 2019 in a New York jail cell while he faced charges for sex trafficking.
“As with all the other witnesses, they all claim they never had any knowledge before it became public that Mr Epstein was involved with women, doing anything inappropriately with young women,” said Rep James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee.
Comer, R-Ky, added that Indyke was asked why he had continued to work with Epstein following his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor. He said Indyke told lawmakers that Epstein convinced him it was a one-time mistake and he was remorseful.
Still, Democrats accused Indyke and Kahn of covering up for Epstein. “I think what has become crystal clear over the course of these last few depositions is that these people are going to lie to us over and over and over,” said Rep. Dave Min, a California Democrat. Both Indyke and Kahn have said repeatedly that they did not know about Epstein’s abuse. As executors of his estate, they agreed earlier this year to settle a class action lawsuit brought against them by survivors of Epstein’s abuse for up to $35 million that alleged they had aided “Epstein’s illegal conduct” for financial gain. They did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. (AP)
