The House Oversight Committee approved new subpoenas in its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, targeting Les Wexner and Epstein estate co-executors Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn. Wexner has said he cut ties with Epstein after allegations emerged and later accused Epstein of misappropriating funds. The committee has already obtained thousands of records from the estate and previously subpoenaed other high-profile figures. The estate’s co-executors say they cooperated with prior requests and deny involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
House Oversight Committee Approves Additional Subpoenas in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry, Targeting Les Wexner and Estate Executors
Les Wexner's name was mentioned in a 2019 FBI email about possible co-conspirators that was made public as part of the ongoing release of Jeffrey Epstein files by the Justice Department. (Jay LaPrete / AP)
The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday voted to approve additional subpoenas in its ongoing investigation of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The panel approved subpoenas targeting billionaire Les Wexner and the co-executors of Epstein’s estate, attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn.
Background
Wexner, the former chief executive of Victoria’s Secret, had a long relationship with Epstein beginning in the 1980s and at one time employed him to manage personal finances. In a 2019 letter to the Wexner Foundation, Wexner said he severed ties with Epstein after allegations surfaced that Epstein had sexually abused minors in Florida and later asserted that Epstein "misappropriated vast sums of money" from him and his family. Wexner’s representatives have previously said prosecutors told his attorney he was "neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect" of the investigation.
Committee Actions and Documents
The Oversight Committee has already obtained thousands of records from Epstein’s estate under a congressional subpoena. Wexner’s name also appears in a 2019 FBI email about possible co-conspirators that was released publicly as part of the Justice Department’s ongoing disclosure of Epstein-related files. The committee has previously issued subpoenas to former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Justice Department officials as part of the broader review.
Response From Estate Executives
Daniel Weiner, an attorney representing Epstein’s estate and the co-executors, said the executors complied with the earlier congressional subpoena and "fully intend to continue their cooperation with the Committee, including its efforts to investigate potential government wrongdoing regarding Mr. Epstein." Weiner added that Indyke and Kahn "did not socialize with Mr. Epstein" and have rejected as "categorically false" any suggestion that they knowingly facilitated or assisted Epstein’s sexual abuse or trafficking of women, or that they were aware of his actions while providing legal and accounting services.
Next Steps: The subpoenas approved by the committee still need to be drafted—typically including proposed testimony dates—and signed by committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) before they can be formally served.
A representative for Wexner could not immediately be reached for comment on the newly approved subpoena.
Originally published on NBCNews.com.
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