New Mexico’s attorney general filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Jeffrey Epstein’s attorney and accountant, accusing them of concealing his sex trafficking operation at a sprawling Santa Fe-area ranch where the disgraced financier entertained guests.
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financier → file → guests
The lawsuit seeks to stop attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn from accepting any payments from Epstein’s estate, estimated at more than $100 million.
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lawsuit → seek → million
Indyke worked as Epstein’s attorney for roughly two decades.
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Indyke → work → decades
Both he and Kahn have testified in Congress that they did not know about Epstein’s abuse, though New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has a different view.
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Torrez → testify → view
“None of this could be done by just one man,” Torrez said.
uncertain
Torrez → do → man
“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.”
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who → facilitate → consequences
He said Indyke and Kahn “stand to benefit substantially” from Epstein’s estate unless a court intervenes.
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court → say → estate
“Those resources rightfully belong in the hands of survivors,” Torrez said, referring to victims of Epstein’s abuse.
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Torrez → belong → abuse
Phone and email messages seeking comment from attorneys for Indyke and Kahn were not immediately returned Wednesday.
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messages → seek → Indyke
The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately return an email seeking comment on any federal investigation of the pair in New Mexico.
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Department → return → Mexico
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide.
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story → include → suicide
If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
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lifeline → know → 988
There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
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Epstein killed himself in August 2019 in a federal jail in New York City, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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he → be → charges
His former girlfriend and close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges in New York.
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girlfriend → serve → York
Witness testimony at Maxwell’s trial alleged she and Epstein had sexually abused women at the New Mexico ranch.
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she → allege → ranch
Epstein purchased the Zorro Ranch in Stanley, a sparsely populated ranching community about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Santa Fe, in 1993.
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Epstein → purchase → 1993
He built a 26,700-square-foot mansion with a sprawling courtyard, a living room roughly the size of the average American home, and a private airstrip and helipad.
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He → build → home
Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, though the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it was investigating and planned to forward its findings to federal authorities in New York.
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it → face → York
Hector Balderas, who was attorney general at the time, said the state’s outdated laws failed to protect children from abuse.
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laws → say → abuse
Torrez reopened the state’s investigation this year.
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Torrez → reopen → investigation
In August, he sued the Justice Department, accusing it of blocking the state from investigating alleged sex crimes at the ranch.
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he → sue → ranch
The government said it was not releasing some information to the state to avoid disclosing victim-identifying information.
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it → say → information
Also in August, a commission established by state lawmakers to investigate whether local authorities looked the other way, released a 119-page report that found that authorities repeatedly deferred to investigations in New York, Palm Beach, Florida, and the Virgin Islands, while leaving Epstein’s offenses in New Mexico unexamined and unpunished.
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authorities → establish → Mexico
The ranch was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 to the family of Don Huffines, a Republican who is the Texas state comptroller.
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who → sell → Huffines
The money was set aside for creditors.
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money → set → creditors
Probate proceedings related to Epstein’s will and assets are being handled in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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proceedings → relate → Islands
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White contributed from Detroit.
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White → contribute → Detroit
The Aporia
