Jeffrey Epstein’s former accountant has told US lawmakers he was unaware of the late sex offender’s sexual crimes and regrets unknowingly helping him. The comments take on significance as congressional committees investigate Epstein’s vast financial network.
Testifying Wednesday in closed-door testimony before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, Richard Kahn said he never witnessed or complained about Epstein’s abuse or trafficking of women.
“At no time during Epstein’s lifetime have I witnessed any sexual abuse or trafficking of any woman, and I have never received a complaint of such abuse or trafficking from any of Epstein’s victims or anyone else,” Khan said in prepared opening remarks obtained by NPR News in the United States.
Khan, who began working as Epstein’s accountant in 2005 and remained a close friend until the sex offender’s death in 2019, told lawmakers he regretted that he “may have unknowingly assisted Epstein in some way.”
Republican and Democratic lawmakers said the testimony was part of an effort to understand how Epstein raised hundreds of millions of dollars and maintained relationships with some of the world’s most powerful men while running a sex trafficking operation targeting underage girls.
According to committee Chairman James Comer, Khan told investigators that Epstein made his fortune working as a tax advisor and financial planner, the Associated Press reported.
Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw said Khan oversaw Epstein’s financial operations for years, including authorizing payments, some of which were paid to victims and survivors.
“Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring would not have been possible without Richard Kahn, who managed Epstein’s money for many years,” Walkinshaw said. Khan told lawmakers he could not recall details of specific financial transactions and communications about which he had been asked.
During the testimony, lawmakers also sought details about Epstein’s relationships with prominent business leaders and financiers. Comer said investigators determined that Epstein received significant funding from several wealthy individuals, including former retail executive Les Wexner, hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, tech entrepreneur Steven Sinofsky, investor Leon Black and members of the Rothschild family.
Neither of them has ever been accused of wrongdoing in their relationship with Epstein. But Democrats argued that anyone with financial or personal ties to the disgraced financier should be investigated as part of the investigation.
Khan also told lawmakers that Epstein had financial ties to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, according to Democratic Party leader Suhas Subramanyam. Barak has not been charged with a crime and has previously said he regrets his relationship with Epstein.
Comer said the committee has already reviewed more than 40,000 documents obtained through subpoenas issued to JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank as part of its investigation. He added that Epstein was linked to at least 64 businesses.
The investigation also looked into Epstein’s past relationships with high-profile politicians, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Comer said Khan testified that he never saw any financial dealings between Epstein and Trump.
“The investigation is about bringing the truth to the American people, trying to find out how our government failed, and answering the questions we all have,” Comer said.
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(with input from AP)
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