Epstein’s longtime accountant attested to his wealth and business connections

WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers were looking into Jeffrey Epstein’s sprawling financial portfolio on Wednesday as a panel deposed his former accountant and tried to understand his ties to some of the world’s richest men.

Richard Kahn, who worked closely with Epstein for years and now serves as executor of his estate, appeared at the closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill. He told lawmakers that he had not personally seen evidence of Epstein’s sexual abuse, but he provided a fuller picture of how Epstein obtained his fortune. The wealthy financier made hundreds of millions of dollars over two decades during which he forged friendships with some of the most powerful men in the world.

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Kahn “was under the impression that Epstein made his money as a tax consultant and financial planner.” Lawmakers argued that a full picture of Epstein’s financial situation could help the public understand how for years he managed to get away with trafficking and sexually abusing underage girls.

“Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring would not have been possible without Richard Kahn, who managed Epstein’s money for years, approving the payments, including payments to victims and survivors,” said Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Virginia. He added that Khan told them that he was unable to remember the details of some of the transactions and communications he was asked about.

Khan said he was unaware of Epstein’s sexual abuse and had never seen any of his victims.

Read more: A list of powerful men named in the Epstein files, from Elon Musk to former Prince Andrew

Coomer, a Kentucky Republican, also said lawmakers confirmed during the filing that Epstein received large sums of money from former retail shopping chain CEO Les Wexner, hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, technology entrepreneur Steven Sinofsky, investor Leon Black, and the wealthy Rothschild banking family.

None of these people have been accused of wrongdoing in their ties to Epstein, but Democrats on the committee said anyone with ties to the wealthy financier should be scrutinized. Wexner was removed by the committee last month, and Comer also invited Black, among several others, to appear for written interviews.

Comer also said Wednesday that the committee reviewed more than 40,000 documents it requested from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Epstein was associated with at least 64 business entities, according to Comer.

Republican President Donald Trump has strongly denied any wrongdoing in his relations with Epstein, and Coomer said Khan never witnessed any financial transactions between Epstein and Trump. Coomer said Khan is the latest witness to testify that they did not see Trump doing anything wrong with Epstein.

“The investigation is about getting the truth to the American people, trying to figure out why the government failed, and answering the questions we all have,” Comer said.