Richard Kahn, Epstein's accountant, and Darren Indyke, Epstein's attorney, told the House Oversight Committee in closed-door depositions this month that government investigators never interviewed them about their work for the late sex offender, according to videos of their testimony released Tuesday.

The depositions raise questions about the depth of the Justice Department's review of Jeffrey Epstein, which the department and the FBI characterized as "exhaustive" in an unsigned joint memo in July announcing that the government would not disclose additional materials on the disgraced financier. Neither Kahn nor Indyke have been accused of any wrongdoing.

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive Democrats and civil liberties advocates have long criticized the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein investigation, arguing that the 2008 nonprosecution deal and subsequent investigations failed victims. The testimony from Kahn and Indyke that they were never interviewed by federal investigators adds fuel to concerns about the thoroughness of the department's work.

Representative Jerry Nadler of New York, a senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has previously called for full transparency on Epstein, arguing that victims deserve answers. The Democratic-led House Oversight Committee's investigation into the matter reflects ongoing concerns among progressives about accountability in high-profile federal cases.

The Justice Department has released more than 3 million files on Epstein, though most are heavily redacted. The department cited victim protection, child sexual abuse depiction, attorney-client privilege and other reasons for withholding additional materials.

What the Right Is Saying

Conservatives have pushed for full disclosure of Epstein files, arguing that the public deserves to know who was involved with the disgraced financier. The bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act passed following conservative backlash to the Trump administration's handling of the files, compelling the Justice Department to disclose all its materials.

Representative James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has led Republican efforts to investigate the Epstein matter. Conservative commentators have criticized what they see as a two-tiered system of justice, arguing that powerful individuals who may have been connected to Epstein were never properly investigated.

The Justice Department was first involved with investigating Epstein nearly 20 years ago before federal prosecutors oversaw a 2008 nonprosecution deal. He was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in his jail cell as he awaited trial.

What the Numbers Show

The Justice Department has released more than 3 million files on Epstein, with almost as many being held back. The department cited victim protection, child sexual abuse depiction, depiction of violence, duplication and attorney-client privilege as reasons for redactions.

Kahn stated in his deposition that he has "never been questioned by any government authority" but received grand jury subpoena requests from the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands Justice Department asking for Epstein's will and 1953 trust. The estate also received a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee.

Indyke said he gave two other depositions before this month, in cases linked to Epstein's estate. When asked whether any law enforcement agency had contacted him about Epstein or co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, Indyke said, "I don't think I was."

Kahn said he considered leaving his employment with Epstein after the 2008 guilty plea to soliciting a minor, "without a doubt," but stayed because "we were in the middle of a financial crisis, and I had a family to support." Indyke said he did not consider quitting.

The Bottom Line

The testimony from Kahn and Indyke that federal investigators never interviewed them despite their long-term professional relationship with Epstein underscores ongoing questions about the thoroughness of the Justice Department's investigation. The House Oversight Committee's deposition of these two key figures represents another chapter in the years-long controversy over the federal response to Epstein.

The Justice Department has not responded to questions about why investigators never interviewed Kahn and Indyke. The department previously called its review exhaustive while refusing to release additional materials, a position that changed only after the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

What to watch: Whether the House Oversight Committee releases additional testimony from Kahn and Indyke, and whether congressional Republicans or Democrats pursue further investigation into the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein matter.