An accountant who worked for Jeffrey Epstein and the accountant’s lawyer gave “contradictory and concerning statements” about a woman who made allegations against the notorious sex trafficker and President Trump, two House Democrats said Friday.
Richard Kahn, who worked closely with Epstein for more than a decade and serves as an executor of his estate, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. He initially told the committee that Epstein’s estate had reached a settlement with “Jane Doe 4,” who had also accused the president of abuse. Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and the White House has called allegations against him “baseless.”
In a letter to Kahn’s attorney, Daniel Ruzumna, Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia and Ro Khanna of California said Friday that Kahn’s account changed later in his deposition, and again the following day.
“After consultation with your client, you said on the record that Mr. Kahn’s prior statement regarding ‘Jane Doe 4’ was mistaken and that neither you nor Mr. Kahn recognized the name as someone who had brought a claim against Epstein’s estate,” they wrote.
Staff attorneys for Democrats on the Oversight Committee heard from Ruzumna on Thursday, according to the letter. The lawyer informed them that Jane Doe 4 had in fact filed a claim against the estate, but it was denied “and no settlement was reached,” the congressmen wrote.
But the lawmakers said the “inconsistent and shifting statements” continued later that day, when Ruzumna told the committee attorneys he “could no longer stand by [his] assertion that no settlement was reached with ‘Jane Doe 4.'”
Ruzumna stopped short of saying an agreement was struck with the woman. He instead said he “could neither confirm nor deny whether a settlement was reached,” according to the letter.
The Democrats demanded that Ruzumna confirm in writing whether Jane Doe 4 “filed a claim against the Epstein estate, and whether she received any settlement from the estate.”
Ruzumna did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Kahn was one of Epstein’s closest associates in his final years. He testified on Wednesday that he “was not aware of the nature or extent of Epstein’s abuse of so many women until after Epstein’s death.” Kahn said during his deposition that, “had I learned of any of his horrific behavior, I would have quit work immediately.”
Kahn said in his prepared remarks that he agreed to serve as an executor of Epstein’s estate because he believed doing so would allow him “to help alleviate” the suffering of Epstein’s victims.
He said the Epstein Victim Compensation Fund “resolved claims by over 130 women” in addition to another 60 settlements separately reached by the estate.
After the deposition, Garcia, the committee’s ranking member, said that Kahn’s work enabled Epstein, and that his “massive sex trafficking ring would not have been possible without the consistent payments and services of his long-time accountant.”
In a statement sent to reporters on Friday, Garcia and Khanna noted that Jane Doe 4 was interviewed by FBI agents four times. “Congress and the public deserve a clear answer about whether the Epstein Estate paid a settlement to an accuser who made serious allegations against Donald Trump,” they said.
“Richard Kahn needs to come clean about what the Epstein Estate knows,” the lawmakers added.