Kenneth Glad
Years after financier Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody in 2019, investigators and lawmakers are taking a closer look at the people who helped run his day-to-day operations.
Millions of pages of Justice Department and investigative records released earlier this year are shedding new light on the staff, advisers and associates who handled Epstein’s money, travel and communications.
The renewed focus comes as Congress examines how Epstein maintained influence and access to powerful circles even after a 2008 Florida plea deal that required him to register as a sex offender.
Money and management
Much of the scrutiny centers on how Epstein’s finances were organized and maintained.
According to documents reviewed by CNN, longtime lawyer Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn were deeply involved in managing the legal and financial infrastructure around Epstein’s businesses.
Indyke helped establish companies connected to Epstein and handled legal paperwork related to investments and assets.
Bank records cited in the files show Indyke sometimes withdrew significant sums of cash from Epstein-linked accounts. In one instance, reports CNN, bank staff questioned an $11,500 withdrawal over two days that had not been requested in writing beforehand.
Kahn, Epstein’s in-house accountant, handled wire transfers, signed checks and coordinated payments for a wide range of expenses.
Emails show Epstein instructing him to send funds for things like tuition payments, donations to universities and other costs associated with acquaintances.
Lawyers for both men say they never witnessed abuse and had no knowledge of any trafficking scheme.
Travel and daily operations
Other employees oversaw the logistics that allowed Epstein to move between properties and maintain a constant flow of visitors.
Lesley Groff, Epstein’s executive assistant for many years, managed schedules, booked travel and communicated with people seeking meetings with him, according to documents cited by CNN.
Several alleged victims later told investigators that they contacted Groff to arrange massages with Epstein, encounters prosecutors said were often used to initiate abuse. Her attorneys say she never saw illegal conduct.
Pilot Lawrence Visoski, who worked for Epstein for nearly three decades, flew him and guests between residences in New York, Florida, New Mexico and his private Caribbean island. The flight logs included the names of prominent passengers along with others listed only as “male” or “female.”
Visoski told investigators, and later testified in court, that he did not witness sexual activity involving minors during flights.
Recruitment and wider network
The records also point to individuals linked to recruitment and the broader social network surrounding Epstein.
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was accused by prosecutors of helping bring underage girls into Epstein’s orbit and participating in abuse. She was convicted in December 2021 on federal charges related to sex trafficking and sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison.
French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who received financial backing from Epstein for a modeling agency, also faced accusations from several women who alleged sexual assault. Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported that Brunel died in a Paris prison in 2022 while awaiting trial. Authorities ruled the death a suicide.
Lawmakers on the US House Oversight Committee are now examining the newly released records as part of a broader effort to understand how Epstein’s operation functioned for years.
Several former associates are expected to testify, a process investigators hope will clarify what those around Epstein knew and how his network continued to operate long after his earlier criminal conviction.
Sources: CNN, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal
