Richard Kahn, the former accountant for the late Jeffrey Epstein and co-executor of his estate, testified for around seven hours behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee. During the deposition, Kahn emphasized that his relationship with Epstein was strictly professional, asserting that he had no knowledge of the serious allegations against Epstein.

In his testimony, Kahn stated, "I was unaware of the terrible and unforgivable things that he [Epstein] did to women and girls," responding to inquiries from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The committee's investigation focused on understanding how Epstein generated his wealth, how he utilized it, and whether any funds were associated with illegal activities.

During his opening statement, Kahn mentioned, "We did not interact socially and I never attended any of his parties or 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." He further stated that had he become aware of any of Epstein's horrific conduct, he would have ceased working for him immediately.

Kahn highlighted that throughout his accounting work, he did not encounter any financial transactions that raised concerns regarding abuse or trafficking. He firmly rejected allegations that he facilitated or structured Epstein's companies to obscure criminal behavior or payments to young women. "We tracked the expenditures as meticulously as possible, including gifts by Epstein to women and men. The gifts represent a very small fraction of Epstein’s spending," he noted.

House Oversight Chair James Comer commented during a break in Kahn’s testimony that he was "answering every question thus far." The session included discussions about a foreign head of state having financial dealings with Epstein. Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam indicated that Kahn mentioned investments involving Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister, although specific details were not disclosed.

Subramanyam also revealed that Kahn testified about a settlement made by Epstein’s estate to an individual who accused former President Donald Trump. However, Comer clarified that Kahn stated he never observed any payments made to Trump or his family, and the person familiar with the case confirmed that Trump was not included among the individuals specifically excluded from settlement agreements.

Comer had expressed a desire to understand Kahn's role in any settlements for victims. He indicated that the five clients who paid Epstein the most were prominent figures, including Les Wexner, Glenn Dubin, Steven Sinofsky, the Rothschilds, and Leon Black. Wexner has already been deposed, while Black has been asked to appear voluntarily.

Kahn conveyed to lawmakers his belief that Epstein's income stemmed from his work as a tax adviser and financial planner. "These were the five people that transferred significant sums of money to Epstein," Comer summarized.

Prior to Kahn's deposition, Comer stated that lawmakers had numerous questions regarding Kahn's involvement. The committee has been collecting bank records for an extensive period, waiting to gather sufficient information before questioning the accountant. In November, Comer subpoenaed JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank for their records related to Epstein. Since then, the committee has reviewed approximately 44,000 financial documents.

It was noted that Epstein maintained at least 64 trusts and entities linked to him, with significant daily financial movements observed. These activities included payments to women, tuition payments to various universities, and large cash withdrawals, the details of which remain unclear.

Committee staff have also sought to examine suspicious activity reports related to Epstein filed by financial institutions, which indicate possible wrongdoing without necessarily confirming it. Following Epstein's death while in custody, JPMorgan Chase reported over $1 billion in transactions considered suspicious from late 2003 until mid-2019, involving various entities and individuals.

While Kahn appeared engaged during the questioning, not all committee members were satisfied with his responses. Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw expressed skepticism regarding Kahn’s lack of knowledge about Epstein’s crimes, stating, "If he was ignorant of Epstein’s crimes, he was willfully ignorant of those crimes given the depth of his involvement with Epstein and his finances over many years."

Comer concluded by expressing hope to complete the investigation by the end of the current Congress, although he acknowledged that each witness interview tends to uncover new leads. The committee is also looking to depose Attorney General Pam Bondi soon.

This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.

Source: CNN News