Politics

House Oversight committee to depose Epstein’s longtime lawyer

Richard Kahn, an accountant for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrives for a House Oversight Committee deposition about Epstein, in Rayburn building on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Members of the House Oversight Committee are set to depose a key member of Jeffrey Epstein’s inner circle who for more than two decades had a critical role managing his personal, financial and legal affairs.

Darren Indyke served as Epstein’s longtime attorney since the mid-1990s.

As Epstein for years attempted to avoid scrutiny while orchestrating a notorious sex trafficking operation, Indyke — together with accountant Richard Kahn — allegedly helped him navigate legal issues and formed part of the financier’s inner circle. Indyke allegedly helped facilitate at least three sham marriages between Epstein’s victims and withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for Epstein, according to one lawsuit, and attested to Epstein’s character when he faced legal scrutiny. 

“Knowing that they would earn millions of dollars in exchange for facilitating Epstein’s sex abuse and trafficking, Indyke and Kahn chose money and power over following the law,” alleged one lawsuit that Indyke and Kahn agreed to settle with no admission of wrongdoing.

Neither man has been charged with any crimes. They both deny any wrongdoing and say they were unaware of Epstein’s crimes while working for him. 

The deposition Thursday comes as the House Oversight Committee attempts to zero in on members of Epstein’s inner circle to better understand how the disgraced financier was able to commit decades of crime with seeming impunity.

Following higher profile depositions of people like billionaire Leslie Wexner as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton, the questioning of both Indyke and Kahn arguably presents the committee with their strongest opportunity to learn more about Epstein’s life and crimes.

“I was not aware of the nature or extent of Epstein’s abuse of so many women until after Epstein’s death,” Kahn told lawmakers last week, according to his prepared remarks. “However, it pains me to think, and I deeply regret, that I may have unknowingly assisted Epstein in any way.”

Executor of Epstein’s Trust 
In a will signed two days before he was found dead in a Manhattan jail cell, Epstein named Kahn and Indyke as the co-executors of his estate and bequeathed them $25 million and $50 million, respectively. At the time of his death, Epstein’s estate was valued as much as $650 million. It was last valued at approximately $127 million, according to an October 2025 court filing, after paying out multiple settlements to Epstein’s victims.

As co-executors of Epstein’s estate, Indyke and Kahn recently agreed to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims that accused them of “facilitation, participation, and concealment of Epstein’s illegal conduct” for their own financial gain.

According to the lawsuit, both men helped “structure Epstein’s bank accounts and cash withdrawals to give Epstein and his associates access to large amounts of cash in furtherance of sex trafficking.”

“The Epstein Enterprise would not have existed for the duration it did and at its scope and scale, without the collaboration and support of others. No one, except perhaps Ghislaine Maxwell, was as essential and central to Epstein’s operation as these Defendants,” the lawsuit alleged.

The settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing and still needs to be approved by a judge.  Though the lawsuit was brought against them personally, the $25-35 million settlement would be paid by Epstein’s estate, according to the settlement terms.

“Neither Mr. Indyke nor Mr. Kahn socialized with Mr. Epstein, and both men reject as categorically false any suggestion that they knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr. Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of women, or that they were aware of his actions while they provided professional services to him,” an attorney for the men told ABC News in December. 

Allegedly arranged sham marriages
In a lawsuit filed by government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Indyke and Kahn were alleged to have helped facilitate at least three sham marriages created to secure immigration status for some of Epstein’s victims, further securing control of the women and ensuring they could remain in the United States. 

“The victims were coerced into participating in these arranged marriages, and understood that there would be consequences, including serious reputational and bodily harm, if they refused to enter a marriage or attempted to end it,” the complaint alleged.

According to a civil lawsuit filed in 2019 by an anonymous accuser, one woman alleged that Epstein’s longtime attorney — not explicitly named as Indyke in the lawsuit — helped prepare the legal paperwork for the marriage, going as far as arranging photographs “to give the appearance that the marriage was legitimate.”

“When the victim inquired about getting divorced … Indyke tried to talk her out of a divorce and threatened that she would lose Epstein’s protection,” a 2024 lawsuit alleged. 

Files released earlier this year by the Department of Justice appeared to reference some of the marriages allegedly arranged by Indyke and Kahn.

“Good morning Jeffrey! We are going now to get marriage license,” an unidentified individual wrote Epstein in 2013. “She is asking if it’s possible to meet with you? Because she has some questions.”  

Withdrawing thousands in cash 
Court filings as well as documents released by the Department of Justice suggested that both Indyke and Kahn played integral roles in managing Epstein’s wealth and overseeing his regular expenses, including alleged payments to women.

According to the Virgin Islands lawsuit — which was settled by the Epstein estate with no admission of wrongdoing — Indyke and Kahn allegedly arranged payments from Epstein’s personal, corporate and nonprofits bank accounts to victims. That lawsuit alleged that Epstein — together with Kahn and Indyke — managed more than 140 different bank accounts.

According to documents released by the DOJ, Indyke served as an officer for many of the holding and shell companies related to Epstein’s real estate and financial holdings.

A 2020 settlement between Deutsche Bank and the New York state financial regulator also suggested that an attorney for Epstein — who sources told ABC News is Indyke — methodically withdrew cash for Epstein in a manner they said intentionally avoided scrutiny.

Limiting the withdrawals to $7,500 in cash — the maximum amount permitted and below the threshold to trigger concerns — Indyke allegedly withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars for Epstein over four years. While the transactions were below the $10,000 limit to trigger an alert to the Treasury Department, a report by New York State’s Department of Financial Services faulted Deutsche Bank for ignoring red flags about Epstein’s bank accounts.

Jail visits and a character reference 
After securing a plea deal in Florida, Jeffrey Epstein was visited in jail frequently by Indyke, according to visitor logs maintained by the Palm Beach Sheriff. Indyke also helped secure a lenient work-release program for Epstein by vouching for his employment, allowing Epstein to leave the jail for up to 16 hours a day, ABC News reported in 2021.

Prior to Epstein’s plea deal, Indyke also attested to Epstein’s character. According to a letter sent from defense lawyers to prosecutors in Florida, Indyke vouched for Epstein’s character and claimed that Epstein provided financial and emotional support to his family.

“Although Jeffrey was adamant that we owed him nothing, Jeffery honored us by agreeing to be the godfather of our children,” the letter quoted Indyke. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Politics

‘I will follow the law,’ Bondi says after Democrats storm out of Epstein files briefing

Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives ahead of a closed briefing before the House Oversight Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — House Oversight Committee Democrats said Wednesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to commit to complying with a subpoena that compels her to testify at a closed-door deposition over the Jeffrey Epstein files on April 14.

Frustrations boiled over Wednesday evening as Democrats stormed out in protest of a closed-door briefing on the files — characterizing it as a “fake hearing.” Republicans chided Democrats for a “premeditated” stunt.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters, “She refused on multiple occasions to commit to following the subpoena that Chairman [James] Comer actually just put out. I asked her repeatedly that question. Other members asked her that question, and she would not commit to it. It is outrageous. It’s infuriating, and it’s continuous — this White House cover up of the Epstein files.”

Republicans, however, contended that Bondi actually stated that she would “follow the law” regarding her subpoena. 

“​​She said she’s going to stick to the law, whatever the law is, that’s what it is. So, I’m not the attorney but that was a legal answer, and that’s what she’s required to do as the attorney general,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “It was all staged, you could tell it, because it just built up to it.”

Asked after the briefing if she would comply with the subpoena, Bondi replied, “I made it crystal clear. I will follow the law.”

Congressional subpoenas carry the weight of law behind them — defying one could result in a charge of contempt of Congress. But Democrats would need a handful of Republicans to vote with them to hold Bondi in contempt and the Department of Justice typically does not prosecute its own attorney general.

The attorney general admonished Democrats, who she said did not ask any substantive questions.

“We were there to answer questions. It’s the evening. We came at their convenience. We gave them as, really, as much time as they wanted,” Bondi said. “We sat there saying, ‘anything you want to ask us, ask us, anything you want to ask us.'”

After the briefing, Comer told reporters that he does not believe Bondi should sit for a deposition — even though the committee approved the subpoena. 

“I personally don’t see any reason for her to do a deposition. She’s the sitting attorney general. She’s turning over documents. I think the Democrats want to do this to embarrass her,” he said.

Comer stressed that he did not vote for the subpoena to bring her in for a deposition.

“I want to bring in the bad guys for the deposition,” Comer emphasized. “I want to bring in the men who have abused women. I want to bring in anyone who is involved in the prosecution and or lack of prosecution, of Epstein Maxwell and and some of these other guys. So that’s where I think our time and energy should be spent.”

Comer and Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., told reporters that they had a heated exchange, with the chairman acknowledging he scolded Lee to stop “bitching.”

“She was just complaining about the format,” Comer said. “The attorney general and [Deputy Attorney General Todd] Blanche and all the top brass at the DOJ in here to answer questions, and yet they don’t ask a single question.”

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Sports

Scoreboard roundup — 3/18/26

NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Warriors 99, Celtics 120
Thunder 121, Nets 92
Trail Blazers 127, Pacers 119
Raptors 139, Bulls 109
Jazz 111, Timberwolves 147
Clippers 109, Pelicans 124
Hawks 135, Mavericks 120
Nuggets 118, Grizzlies 125
Lakers 124, Rockets 116

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Devils 6, Rangers 3
Penguins 5, Hurricanes 6
Senators 1, Capitals 4
Stars 2, Avalanche 1
Blues 1, Flames 2
Flyers 3, Ducks 2

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Entertainment

Still got hockey fever? ’Shoresy’ sets the tone

Jared Keeso and Tasya Teles in ‘Shoresy.’ (Courtesy of New Metric Media/Lindsay Sarazin)

If you finished your umpteenth rewatch of Heated Rivalry and are still craving more hockey drama, try giving Shoresy a shot.

The Canadian series, which streams on Hulu in the U.S., follows the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs, a hockey team that plays in the senior NOSHO league. While the Persimmon Pomapoos would sound tougher, the Blueberry Bulldogs are led by the notorious Shoresy, played by series creator Jared Keeso, who’s known for his hard hits, incessant chirping, and increasingly creative and profane mom jokes.

That premise might not suggest a lot of emotional weight, but Shoresy has a surprising amount of heart, which has kept fans returning for five seasons.

“I love the unique mix of raw, risky, edgy, oddball humor that’s also laced with so much intelligence,” Tasya Teles, who plays team owner Nat, tells ABC Audio. “Then you have these really heartfelt stories and speeches and life lessons that they weave throughout each episode.”

Shoresy is a highly stylized show, featuring wordless close-up montages of the players alongside scenes of rapid-fire dialogue and repeated turns of phrase. To bring that stylized world to life, the Shoresy cast fittingly mirrors a hockey team.

“It’s because we’ve become such a cohesive unit,” Teles says. “Everybody knows each other in such an intimate way, we all move together as one, and it just makes it really easy.”

Throughout the show’s five seasons, you also get to know the Shoresy characters away from the rink as they pursue romantic relationships — you start an episode, and there’s Shoresy, being good to Laura Mohr — but at its core, the series is about the value of hockey and the good it does for the local community.

“There’s so much integrity and honor and selflessness that hockey players have and maybe isn’t seen,” Teles says. 

Disney is the parent company of Hulu and ABC News. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Entertainment

Netflix announces new rom-com show from ‘Emily in Paris,’ ‘Sex and the City’ creator

A photo of Darren Star. (Netflix)

First he had Carrie Bradshaw, then Emily Cooper and now Darren Star is introducing audiences to a brand-new TV heroine.

Netflix has announced the Sex and the City and Emily in Paris creator’s latest project: a rom-com TV series based in the Napa Valley. Called Uncorked, the new show comes from co-showrunners, writers and executive producers Star and David Schulner.

Uncorked follows “the life of a talented but self-destructive winemaker who returns to Napa for her second chance at love, legacy and that elusive 100 point wine,” according to an official description from Netflix. “This is a woman whose greatest passion is also her fatal flaw — a failing that usually begins before lunch on Tuesday.”

“Seeing audiences around the world fall in love with Emily in Paris has been a dream,” Star said in a press release. “As Emily’s story continues to inspire and unfold, I’m excited to continue my relationship with Netflix and explore a new world with Uncorked. We’re diving straight into the legacy and romance of Napa Valley, where every great vintage has a unique story to tell.”

Schulner said that he and Star “wanted to create a series that explores what happens when your greatest passion is also your Achilles’ heel.”

“With Napa’s beauty and bounty as our setting, we hope the audience never wants to leave. We want to thank Netflix and Universal Television for indulging our copious amounts of day drinking in the name of meticulous research,” Schulner said.

Emily in Paris, Sex and the City and its two films, as well as Star’s shows Younger and Uncoupled, have generated 435 million total views between the first half of 2023 and the second half of 2025, according to Netflix. The streamer noted that Emily in Paris accounted for over 250 million of those views.

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Entertainment

‘Scooby-Doo’ live-action Netflix series gets its main cast

The cast of the live-action ‘Scooby-Doo’ series. (Netflix)

The live-action Scooby-Doo series has found the rest of its main cast.

Netflix has announced that Tanner Hagen, Abby Ryder Fortson and Maxwell Jenkins have joined Mckenna Grace as the stars of its upcoming show.

Grace was previously announced to star as Daphne Blake in the series. Hagen will take on the role of Shaggy Rogers, Fortson will play Velma Dinkley and Jenkins will play Fred Jones.

This currently untitled Scooby-Doo live-action series “will uncover how this mystery-solving crew, and their beloved dog, first teamed up to crack the haunting case that started it all,” according to the streamer.

Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg will serve as the show’s writers, executive producers and showrunners.

According to Netflix, this show will be a modern reimagining of the Scooby-Doo gang’s origin story.

“During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder,” according to the show’s official synopsis. “Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”

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Entertainment

‘Cross,’ starring Aldis Hodge, renewed for season 3

Honoree/actor Aldis Hodge attends the ‘Cross’ and Award Presentation press junket during day 2 of the 14th SCAD TVfest at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta on February 5, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Aldis Hodge’s Cross has been renewed for a third season.

The Prime Video series, created by Ben Watkins and based on characters created by James Patterson, is comprised of eight episodes, continuing the story of Hodge’s detective, Alex Cross, and his pursuit of serial killers.

“From the beginning, Cross has captivated audiences with its layered characters, pulse-pounding suspense, and emotionally grounded storytelling,” Peter Friedlander, head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement. “Aldis has delivered a definitive portrayal of Alex Cross, anchoring the series with depth, intelligence, and heart. We’re thrilled to continue this journey with Ben, our collaborators at Paramount Television Studios, and the rest of the incredible cast to bring even more of James Patterson’s iconic world to our global Prime Video audience.”

The show’s second season, which also stars Matthew Lillard, Jeanine Mason and Wes Chatham, is available to stream on Prime Video.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Entertainment

‘The Incredibles 3,’ ‘Lilo & Stitch 2’ get summer 2028 release dates, ‘Toy Story 5’ shares new clip

A scene from ‘Lilo & Stitch.’ (Disney)

Josh D’Amaro’s first day as Disney CEO has brought about several new announcements from the company.

The upcoming third The Incredibles film and the second live-action Lilo & Stitch movie have received new release dates in summer 2028.

Lilo & Stitch 2 will release in theaters on May 26, 2028. Disney previously announced that a sequel to the successful movie was in development back in June 2025. The first live-action Lilo & Stitch movie opened on May 23, 2025, before it grossed over $920 million worldwide.

The Incredibles 3 has landed a new theatrical release date of June 16, 2028. The project was first announced at D23 Expo in August 2024, where Disney and Pixar revealed that Brad Bird would return to the franchise to helm its third movie. At the time, Disney said the film would release in spring 2026, and also confirmed Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Samuel L. Jackson’s return. 

In other Pixar news, a brand-new clip from the upcoming Toy Story 5 has been released. The snippet finds the cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) confronting her caretaker Bonnie’s new smart tablet, Lilypad (Greta Lee).

“Me and the toys have been working all summer to try and get Bonnie to make friends with the Jordan twins across the street. But then you had to ruin it with all your stupid — you’re not even listening to me!” Jessie says as Lilypad begins scrolling through a social media feed on her screen.

“Oh no, I was listening. I’m always listening. See?” Lilypad says, before she reads out a transcription of Jessie’s rant, translates it into Spanish and even instantly turns it into a piece of rap music.

Toy Story 5 rides like the wind into theaters on June 19.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Pixar.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

National

Luigi Mangione asks to delay federal trial

Luigi Mangione speaks to his attorney, Jacob Kaplan, during a suppression of evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan Criminal Court on December 18, 2025 in New York City. (Luiz C. Ribeiro-Pool/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione asked a judge on Wednesday to postpone his federal trial from September 2026 to January 2027.

Mangione argued he could not properly prepare for his federal trial — which is set to begin with jury selection on Sept. 8 and opening statements on Oct. 13 — while he is on trial in the state case, which begins June 8.

The state trial would be ongoing while hundreds of potential jurors for the federal case begin filling out questionnaires on June 29.

“Mr. Mangione is now in the impossible position of having to review 800 jury questionnaires during the week of June 29, 2026, while on trial for second-degree murder in state court,” defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote in a letter to the judge. “As a practical matter, this would not be possible.”

She also argued potential jurors would be “bombarded” by news accounts of the state trial.

“As a result, forcing Mr. Mangione to start the state trial on June 8, 2026 — three weeks before potential federal jurors start filling out juror questionnaires a few blocks away in Mr. Mangione’s federal case — guarantees that the fairness and impartiality of Mr. Mangione’s federal jurors will be negatively impacted by weeks of media reporting,” the defense said.

Federal prosecutors are expected to oppose moving the trial date.

Mangione pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges after he was arrested for allegedly gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024.

In January, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett took the death penalty off the table in the federal case.

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