New Mexico sues Epstein lawyer and accountant over alleged trafficking cover-up

New Mexico's lawsuit focuses on two people who handled Jeffrey Epstein's affairs: attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn. They are also executors of his estate, according to ABCNews.com and CNBC.

The state alleges that their involvement went beyond professional services. According to CNBC, the lawsuit accuses them of helping finance and conceal Epstein's sex trafficking, including abuse at his Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe.

On October 21, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced the lawsuit against the two men, accusing them of hiding information about Epstein's sex trafficking operations, CBS Top Stories reported. The allegations include abuse of young women and girls at the ranch, according to The Hill.

The lawsuit also targets payments from Epstein's estate. New York Post reported that it seeks to stop Indyke and Kahn from accepting any payments from an estate estimated at more than $100 million.

Both men have denied knowing about Epstein's crimes. Their attorney rejected the lawsuit as "categorically false," BBC World reported on October 21.

On October 22, TMZ reported a separate accusation from Torrez: that Donald Trump's administration has been blocking his Epstein investigation. The supplied coverage does not detail the alleged obstruction or include an administration response.

The central dispute is whether Indyke and Kahn knowingly helped Epstein's trafficking operation or concealed it. New Mexico alleges they did; the men deny knowledge of his crimes. The coverage reports the filing and their response, not a court finding on those allegations.

The lawsuit comes amid wider scrutiny of the pair. Forbes reported on October 21 that earlier reports had suggested the Justice Department was also looking into them. That reporting does not establish that either man faces federal charges.

The immediate legal question is whether New Mexico can secure the restrictions it seeks on estate payments. The supplied coverage gives no hearing date or court ruling. Torrez's claim that the administration has blocked his investigation also remains an unresolved allegation in the reporting from TMZ.