SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico's attorney general filed a sweeping federal lawsuit Wednesday against Jeffrey Epstein's longtime personal lawyer and accountant, accusing the two men of helping finance and cover up the late financier's sex-trafficking operation at his sprawling Zorro Ranch property outside Santa Fe.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, names Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn — who serve as co-executors of Epstein's estate — along with the estate itself and the 1953 Trust that holds its remaining assets. New Mexico's Department of Justice described the filing as the first law enforcement action brought directly against Indyke and Kahn over their roles in Epstein's abuse.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez's 49-page complaint leans on two federal and state statutes rarely paired in a single civil case: the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act and New Mexico's Racketeering Act. The state alleges Indyke and Kahn — who managed Epstein's finances and legal affairs for decades — knew about and enabled the trafficking operation, including abuse that took place at Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County, and structured his financial affairs in ways that helped conceal it from authorities.

THE FIRST LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST EPSTEIN'S LONGTIME LAWYER AND ACCOUNTANT.

A Bid to Freeze Estate Payouts

Beyond damages for survivors, the lawsuit's immediate practical target is money: under Epstein's estate plan, Indyke is eligible for a $50 million bequest and Kahn for $25 million, subject to the estate having sufficient funds. New Mexico wants a judge to block both payments while the case proceeds, along with a jury finding of racketeering and trafficking violations and the "divestiture" of any Epstein-related financial interests the two men still hold. ABC News reports the state is explicitly trying to prevent the men from profiting off the estate they helped manage.

Indyke and Kahn have denied knowing about or participating in Epstein's trafficking. Both testified before a House committee earlier this year, and both were previously named in a now-settled class-action suit accusing them of helping Epstein conceal the operation — allegations they resolved without admitting wrongdoing. Their attorney, Daniel Weiner, had not responded to requests for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.

Part of a Longer New Mexico Fight

Wednesday's suit is the latest escalation in New Mexico's multi-year effort to hold Epstein's associates accountable. In August, the state sued the U.S. Department of Justice and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing federal officials of blocking New Mexico investigators from obtaining case materials related to Epstein's activity at Zorro Ranch. That suit remains pending. Torrez's office has said the two cases are related but separate tracks — one aimed at forcing federal disclosure, the other going directly after the men the state says enabled Epstein's abuse for years.

What's Next

A judge is expected to set an initial hearing date in the coming weeks on New Mexico's request to freeze the estate payments to Indyke and Kahn. Survivors' attorneys, several of whom have pursued separate civil claims against the estate for years, say Wednesday's filing could strengthen their own cases by establishing a public record of the men's alleged role — regardless of how the state's racketeering claims ultimately fare at trial.