The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime lawyer and accountant, who are now the executors for his estate, the Wall Street Journal reports, as reports suggest Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn may have helped facilitate the financier’s alleged web of abuse—though they deny any wrongdoing.

The DOJ has opened a federal investigation into Indyke and Kahn—Epstein’s lawyer and accountant, respectively—and prosecutors have been scheduling interviews with witnesses and requesting documents related to the two men in recent months, the Journal reports citing anonymous sources.

Indyke and Kahn worked for Epstein for more than a decade until his death in 2019, the Journal reports, and have since gone on to serve as the executors of the financier’s estate, controlling what now totals more than $100 million in assets Epstein left behind.

It’s unclear what investigators are looking into specifically or what potential charges the men could face, the Journal notes, though the publication previously reported Indyke and Kahn used “financial and legal maneuvers” to help obscure Epstein’s financial transactions and were involved with payments to women.

Both men have denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or knowledge of the late financier’s abuse.

The Journal reported in November that Epstein victims had urged lawmakers to investigate the two men, alleging they “helped orchestrate Epstein’s operation” and had taken steps to shield themselves from legal consequences, requiring victims who reached settlements with Epstein’s estate to sign agreements saying the victims would not sue Indyke or Kahn.

Daniel Ruzumna and Daniel Weiner, who represent Indyke and Kahn, said in a statement Wednesday their clients “have not been subpoenaed or asked to speak with federal prosecutors, nor have they been told that they are the subject or target of any investigation,” and reiterated that both men “reject any suggestion that they were complicit in or in any way knowingly facilitated Mr. Epstein’s sexual abuse or trafficking.”

The DOJ would not comment to Forbes on Wednesday on any specific investigations, but noted, “We have always said with regard to Epstein that if the evidence presents itself, we will investigate.” It’s unclear how long any investigation into Indyke and Kahn could take, and opening an investigation does not necessarily mean the government will bring criminal charges. Without knowing what potential crimes prosecutors are probing, it’s also too early to say what potential penalties the men could face.

“Mr. Indyke and Mr. Kahn testified at length before the House Oversight Committee earlier this year, and they have given multiple depositions in civil lawsuits,” Indyke and Kahn’s attorneys said Wednesday, adding the men were not identified as “co-conspirators” in the government’s Epstein investigations and “not a single individual has ever accused Mr. Indyke or Mr. Kahn of sexual abuse or trafficking.” Epstein’s alleged abuse “by all accounts occurred behind closed doors, in secluded locations, and at times when neither Mr. Indyke nor Mr. Kahn was present,” attorneys Ruzumna and Weiner said in their statement, and argued their clients “are confident that any investigation will reveal that they were not involved in any of Epstein’s crimes, just as the previous investigation found.”

The news of the reported investigation comes weeks after Epstein victims filed a new lawsuit against Kahn and Indyke, alleging the men “played critical roles” in “enabling” Epstein’s abuse “by providing Epstein the necessary financial and legal support for his sex trafficking operation by which Plaintiffs were victimized.” Attorneys for the two men told CNN they “emphatically” rejected the lawsuit’s accusations.

$107.6 million. That’s how much Epstein’s estate is now valued at, according to court filings cited by CNN . The size of the estate has dwindled significantly from the $655.1 million it was worth at the end of 2019, as the estate has paid out millions in operating costs, compensation to victims and legal settlements.

Why Is Darren Indyke And Richard Kahn’s Work For Epstein Suspicious?

Indyke and Kahn started working for Epstein in 1996 and 2005, respectively, remaining dedicated to the financier even after he was convicted of soliciting prostitution in 2008 and as the Miami Herald first began reporting in 2018 on his alleged trafficking operation. Both held positions at numerous entities and financial accounts connected to Epstein, the Journal reports , which Indyke’s lawyer defended as not being “sinister,” though some entities were used to make payments to women. They were also connected to numerous payments made to women, with court filings cited by the Journal noting Indyke transferred “thousands” of dollars to eastern European women between 2016 and 2019, while Epstein made at least 55 payments that were recorded as being from Kahn’s company. Indyke and Kahn allegedly helped orchestrate “sham” marriages between Epstein-connected women to help them remain in the country, according to the Journal—which both men claimed they believed were authentic—and the Journal reports Kahn paid money into a bank account for one woman Epstein was exploiting in order to help legitimize her to immigration authorities. (His attorney told the Journal that Kahn didn’t control the account and was never informed by the woman she was being abused.) Indyke also made systematic withdrawals of large amounts of cash from Epstein’s account, as the Journal notes having large amounts of cash is helpful for trafficking operations to avoid being traced. The Journal alleges Indyke’s cash withdrawals were timed to avoid having the transactions flagged, though the lawyer’s attorney claimed the transactions were only spaced out to “ensure he didn’t exceed the maximum amount allowed for non-account holders.”

Indyke And Kahn Helped Epstein As He Came Under Fire

The two men reportedly helped Epstein as financial institutions began dropping him as a client in the wake of reports on his alleged trafficking scheme. The Journal reports money was moved from Epstein’s accounts into accounts owned by Indyke and Kahn, and Kahn reportedly tried to help Epstein find alternate institutions—also aiding in Epstein’s efforts to try and open his own bank in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Indyke also withdrew $100,000 in cash for Epstein in 2018, the Journal reports.

What Have Indyke And Kahn Said About Working With Epstein?

The two men have strongly denied knowingly playing any role in Epstein’s alleged abuse, claiming they didn’t know how financial transactions were being used to help the alleged trafficking scheme or have any knowledge of Epstein abusing women. “I did not socialize with Mr Epstein, and I reject as categorically false any suggestion that I knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of women, or that I was aware of Mr Epstein’s actions while I provided legal services to him,” Indyke said in testimony to the House Oversight Committee in March, adding he would have “quit” had he found out. “That I did not know what my client did in his private life may be difficult for some to believe, but it is true,” Indyke added. Kahn similarly told lawmakers he would have “quit work immediately” had he learned of “any of [Epstein’s] horrific behavior,” noting their relationship was strictly professional. “We did not interact socially and I never attended any of his parties,” Kahn testified. “While Epstein was alive, I never observed any sexual abuse or trafficking of women and never received a complaint – either by one of Epstein’s victims or any one else – of such abuse or trafficking.” The accountant also alleged Epstein’s gifts and payments to women “represent a very small fraction of Epstein’s spending,” and he “did not see them as red flags for abuse or trafficking.”

Indyke And Kahn Could Benefit From Epstein’s Estate

Indyke and Kahn were reportedly paid handsomely for their work with Epstein, with the Journal reporting the financier paid more than $16 million to Indyke and more than $10 million to Kahn between 2011 and 2019 alone. The two men also stand to benefit from any money that’s left over in Epstein’s estate once it’s settled, as they’re listed among the primary beneficiaries of a trust that will be established with any remaining assets. The trust bequeaths $50 million to Indyke and $25 million to Kahn—if there’s that much left to give out—though the two men have said they doubt they’ll receive any money from the estate given the legal disputes and other matters that still have to be settled. Epstein victims have pointed to the men’s status as beneficiaries as conflicts of interest for legal matters involving the estate, as well as the allegations over them facilitating Epstein’s abuse. “I don’t see how, as executors of the estate, they could also make the decision about whether they were responsible in any way,” Jennifer Freeman, an attorney representing Epstein victims, told CNN earlier in September.

The DOJ’s reported probe into Indyke and Kahn marks one of the first known criminal investigations regarding Epstein that the government has launched since the financier’s death. The Trump administration said last year it had not found evidence to justify bringing any further prosecutions, though it’s remained open to launching further investigations if the evidence warrants it. Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell is so far the only person besides Epstein who’s been federally indicted for her role in the financier’s alleged abuse. Lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee referred former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and celebrity hairstylist Frederic Fekkai to the DOJ for criminal investigation in connection with Epstein, but there is so far no indication prosecutors are looking into them. Both Levine and Fekkai have denied any wrongdoing.

This story is breaking and will be updated.