“For twenty years, and for therefore lengthy after [JPMorgan] exited Epstein as a consumer, the entity that almost all straight failed to guard public security and most actively facilitated and benefited from Epstein’s continued prison exercise was the plaintiff on this case — the [U.S. Virgin Islands] authorities itself,” JPMorgan’s submitting argues. “Moderately than cease him, they helped him.”
Epstein introduced victims to his personal island within the U.S. territory.
JPMorgan’s submitting additionally cites emails between Epstein and the Virgin Islands’ former first girl, Cecile de Jongh, who was an worker of the financier for a number of years.
De Jongh labored for Epstein operating enterprise operations, and was alternatively recognized as a “compliance individual” or “workplace supervisor,” based on courtroom papers. She labored for him since at the least 2000, based on courtroom papers, together with throughout the tenure of her husband, John de Jongh, as governor of the territory.
Emails exchanged by Cecile de Jongh and Epstein seem to point out them working collectively on a spread of points.
In a 2010 message, Epstein complains a couple of specific customs official who “has been tough these days,” and de Jongh responds that she has requested somebody to look into it.
In one other e-mail, de Jongh makes a case for why she ought to get a bonus: “In 14 years, we’ve got not had a foul audit and we guarantee that you’ve the very best relationships with native regulators and departments,” de Jongh wrote.
As a result of Epstein pleaded responsible in 2008 to Florida costs of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution, the Virgin Islands required him to register as a intercourse offender, JPMorgan’s submitting says. In a March 2011 e-mail cited within the submitting, he steered sure modifications to the territory’s intercourse offender legal guidelines. “Perhaps we must always distinguish between intercourse offenders and predators,” he wrote to de Jongh. He later added: “It might’t be extra restrictive than after I journey in [the] United States. Or a waiver ought to be broader.”
Cecile de Jongh didn’t reply to cellphone calls and emails looking for remark. An lawyer representing de Jong didn’t reply to detailed questions relating to de Jongh’s previous contacts with Epstein.
A Virgin Islands spokesperson on Thursday accused the financial institution of attempting to distract from its personal function in facilitating Epstein’s crimes.
“JPMorgan Chase has cherry-picked and mischaracterized Epstein’s interactions with U.S. Virgin Islands officers and residents in an try and distract and shift blame away from its function in facilitating Jeffrey Epstein’s heinous crimes,” Venetia Velazquez, a spokesperson for the Virgin Islands lawyer common, mentioned in an emailed assertion.
She additional accused the financial institution of attempting to “assault the individuals of the Virgin Islands” for not discovering the identical data that financial institution executives refused to share. “JPMorgan Chase had a obligation to report the proof in its possession of Epstein’s human trafficking, it failed to take action, and it ought to be held accountable for violating the legislation,” Velazquez wrote.
The lawsuit introduced by the Virgin Islands is separate from the one introduced by Epstein’s victims that resulted in a $290 million settlement settlement with JPMorgan. Deutsche Financial institution, which inherited Epstein’s accounts after he was dropped by JPMorgan and labored with him for 4 years, settled with victims for $75 million.
