A U.S. judge on Tuesday granted preliminary approval to a settlement under which Jeffrey Epstein estate could pay up to $35 million to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing two of his longtime advisers of aiding and abetting his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls.
Read More: Court adjourns hearing into Park Lane, fake bank accounts cases
Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said the proposed agreement appeared fair and scheduled a September 16 hearing to consider final approval. The settlement was first announced on February 19 by Boies Schiller Flexner, which represents several of Epstein’s victims.
The deal would resolve a 2024 lawsuit filed against Epstein’s former personal lawyer Darren Indyke and former accountant Richard Kahn, who serve as co-executors of his estate. The lawsuit alleged that the two men helped facilitate and conceal Epstein’s trafficking activities by creating a complex network of corporations and bank accounts.
Lawyers for Indyke and Kahn did not immediately comment. Previously, one of their attorneys said neither man had made any admission or concession of wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019, in a death ruled a suicide. Since then, his estate has established a restitution fund that has paid out $121 million to victims, along with an additional $49 million in settlements.
Read More: Sarah Ferguson’s loyalty to Prince Andrew ‘cost her everything,’ says friends
The case forms part of broader legal efforts to hold institutions and individuals accountable for alleged failures connected to Epstein’s conduct. Earlier, Boies Schiller Flexner secured $365 million in settlements with JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank over claims they ignored warning signs while maintaining business ties with Epstein.