For those who think the truth about the crime and slime associated with Jeffrey Epstein has been deep-sixed down the memory hole, there may be another bite at this rotten apple. Mimi Lui, an attorney representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, has filed suit in federal court against JPMorgan Chase. Lui charged that over $1 billion in suspicious transactions have been reported to the U.S. Treasury since Epstein’s death and that JPMorgan Chase ignored sex-trafficking red flags over many years, thus enabling these crimes. The case will go to trial on October 23 unless a settlement is reached.
The Virgin Islands currently wants a minimum of $190 million from the financial giant for its negligence. Epstein owned two private islands in the territory. JPMorgan Chase claims the territory is itself to blame and that it had too close a relationship with the man believed to have been a sex trafficker to the political, social, and government greats or perhaps not-so-greats. Some even believe Epstein’s extraordinary wealth may have come from a sophisticated blackmail operation.
Whether or not he was a blackmailer to the stars, Epstein had extensive videotaping operations on his properties. None of the many visitors to his massive Manhattan townhouse or who flew on his private jet dubbed the “Lolita Express” to his islands have been linked on videotape to sex with underage girls.
Despite a trial in which his assistant, Ghislaine Maxwell, went to prison, the vast collection of videotapes Maxwell told a friend existed has never been seen by the public. Maxwell is the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a purported Israeli spy and former owner of the New York Daily News who, like Epstein, died under mysterious circumstances, falling off his yacht at 4:25 in the morning. His body was recovered later that day. While some suspected suicide, his family denied that possibility.
The lead prosecutor on Maxwell’s case was Maureen Comey, daughter of the FBI director who helped get the whole Russian hoax rolling through the Department of Justice with his media leaks. Everything about this case says it has “high jingo,” slang for one involving political players and corruption at the highest levels. These cases often call for white glove treatment by authorities lest they step on the toes of the powerful. Unlike the Maxwell case, the Department of Justice is not a player in this civil case and has less control over its handling.
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If Lui’s $1 billion number is accurate, and if each sex-trafficking service costs an average of $200, the question remains whether a deep dive into the books could implicate an extraordinary number of Epstein associates in underage sex trafficking. Even without videotape evidence, what could a paper trail of sex-trafficking payments and visitor logs tell us if revealed in open court? Forensic accounting might cut through much of the fog surrounding Epstein’s secretive empire.
The judge in the case has already approved a $290 million settlement by JPMorgan with the Jane and John Does who have claimed they were trafficked by Epstein. There is also a $75 million settlement by Deutsche Bank. This latest case may well be settled without anyone having to put their cards on the table. If not, the public may get a chance to see for themselves how Epstein’s dirty money game was played.
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