Epstein lawyer denies knowledge of abuse, frustrates US House probe

Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal lawyer Darren Indyke told a US House committee that he had no knowledge of the financier’s sexual abuse of underage girls while it was taking place, becoming the latest associate to make such a claim under oath.

In his opening statement before the House Oversight Committee, Indyke — who worked with Epstein for around two decades — said he “had had no knowledge whatsoever” of the abuse. He added that he would have severed ties had he known Epstein was trafficking women and minors.

Indyke’s testimony mirrors statements from other figures connected to Epstein, including his former accountant Richard Kahn, retail magnate Les Wexner, and former US President Bill Clinton, all of whom have told lawmakers in depositions that they were unaware of his conduct at the time.

The repeated denials have drawn scepticism from Democrats on the committee. During a break in proceedings, they criticised Indyke for what they described as a “defensive” approach to questioning.

Indyke and Kahn, who serve as executors of Epstein’s estate, had been expected to shed light on the network around Epstein and the extent of his abuses. So far, however, lawmakers say they have struggled to extract substantive new information about the late financier, who died in a New York jail — apparently by suicide — in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.

Committee chair representative James Comer said the pattern of testimony had been consistent. “As with all the other witnesses, they all claim they never had any knowledge before it became public that Mr Epstein was involved… doing anything inappropriately with young women,” he said.

Comer added that lawmakers had pressed Indyke on why he continued working with Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. According to Comer, Indyke responded that Epstein had portrayed the incident as a one-off lapse and expressed remorse.

Democrats, however, accused both Indyke and Kahn of shielding Epstein. Representative Dave Min said the depositions suggested a broader pattern of evasion. “These people are going to lie to us over and over and over,” he said.

Both men have consistently denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s abuse. Earlier this year, they agreed — in their capacity as executors — to settle a class action lawsuit brought by survivors for up to $35 million. The suit alleged they had facilitated Epstein’s illegal activities for financial gain. The settlement did not include any admission of wrongdoing.

Democratic lawmakers are now pressing for additional documents from Epstein’s estate. They said Indyke indicated he was awaiting instructions from the Republican-led committee on whether to release a tranche of materials, including records linked to litigation brought by prominent Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as documents relating to Epstein’s business dealings.

Comer, however, said similar records had already been sought from other sources and that obtaining them again from the estate would likely yield “overlapping information”.

Democrats also pursued questions related to an uncorroborated allegation made in 2019 against President Donald Trump during the broader Epstein investigation. Representative Robert Garcia said Indyke declined to answer whether the woman involved had reached any agreement with Epstein’s estate.

Trump has repeatedly denied any connection to wrongdoing involving Epstein. Comer criticised the line of questioning, accusing Democrats of focusing disproportionately on the president without substantive evidence. “They have created a false narrative that Donald Trump’s somehow some type of liability in this,” he said.

What began as a bipartisan inquiry into Epstein’s network has increasingly devolved into a partisan confrontation. Tensions escalated this week when Democratic lawmakers walked out of a briefing with attorney-general Pam Bondi, alleging she appeared before the committee to pre-empt her own scheduled deposition on 14 April.

Comer described the episode as a “low point” in the investigation and sharply criticised Democrats’ conduct. He said he still intended to proceed with Bondi’s deposition, subject to support from Republican members.

Democrats, for their part, said they plan to convene a public hearing featuring survivors of Epstein’s abuse and other witnesses, regardless of Republican participation.

With AP/PTI inputs