The U.S. Virgin Islands and banking giant JPMorgan Chase have accused each other of enabling Jeffrey Epstein, according to new court filings.
The filing from the Virgin Islands references alleged communications between a former and current JPMorgan executive which appears to show that they knew of Epstein’s ties to “nymphettes,” while the filing from JPMorgan says that the Virgin Islands was trying to shift blame for allowing Epstein’s sex trafficking to the bank.
“This is not a case about Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. This is a case in which a complicit governmental actor, the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), knowingly used its sovereign powers to enable Epstein’s sex crimes, including by soliciting his input on its own sex offender legislation, waiving sex offender monitoring requirements for him, facilitating the provision of ESL classes and visas that allowed him to bring victims to USVI, and actively looking the other way whenever he arrived at USVI airports accompanied by young women and girls,” JPMorgan said in a legal filing on Monday.
The bank added that it will prove that the Virgin Islands “created a haven for Epstein’s criminal activity.” JPMorgan, the largest investment bank in the U.S., settled with victims of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation for $290 million last month.
In its 148-page filing, the Virgin Islands alleged that JPMorgan was deeply tied to Epstein and facilitated his sex-trafficking operation. The government accused JPMorgan of facilitating millions of dollars in payments to Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators in sexually abusing young women, settlement payments, legal expense payments, “suspicious cash withdrawals,” and payments to women with “Eastern European surnames.”
One message included in the filing from former JPMorgan CFO David Brigstocke to JPMorgan executive Mary Erdoes in September 2012 seems to indicate the executives knew that all was not right with Epstein.
“Reminded me of JE’s house, except it was more tasteful, and fewer nymphettes,” Brigstocke allegedly wrote. “More like the Frick [museum]. Art was fabulous.”
The filing also points to alleged communications between Epstein and Jes Staley, a former banking executive for JPMorgan and Barclays. Staley has been sued by JPMorgan, who blames the bank’s connection to Epstein on him.
Alleged emails between Staley and Epstein show them discussing “Snow White.” Staley allegedly emailed Epstein on July 9, 2010 from his work email saying, “That was fun. Say hi to Snow White.” Epstein reportedly replied, “what character would you like next,” to which Staley allegedly replied “Beauty and the Beast.”
In an additional filing on Monday from the Virgin Islands, Staley was allegedly told by then JPMorgan CEO Douglas Warner that Epstein was “one of the most connected people I know of in New York,” saying he should meet him.
The Virgin Islands is suing JPMorgan for $190 million over its handling of its relationship with Epstein, while the bank has sued Staley to make him culpable for any Epstein fallout.
Post a Comment