JP Morgan Settles Jeffrey Epstein Lawsuits With US Virgin Islands for $75m – JPMorgan Chase has recently come to agreements with the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and former executive Jes Staley, effectively putting an end to legal disputes related to the sex trafficking allegations against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. This marks the conclusion of a long-running scandal that had been a significant burden on the largest US bank for several months.
These settlements represent the final chapters in a legal saga that revolved around women who claimed to have been sexually abused by Epstein, entangling influential figures from the realms of finance and business worldwide. JP Morgan has disclosed that its $75 million settlement with the US Virgin Islands (USVI) comprises $30 million earmarked for charitable organizations, $25 million dedicated to enhancing law enforcement efforts against human trafficking, and $20 million allocated for attorney’s fees.
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The specific details of JP Morgan’s settlement with Jes Staley remain confidential. Back in June, JP Morgan had agreed to pay $290 million to settle claims brought forth by numerous accusers of Jeffrey Epstein. It’s worth noting that Epstein had been a client of JP Morgan from 1998 until 2013, at which point the bank terminated their association.
“While the settlement does not involve admissions of liability, the firm deeply regrets any association with this man, and would never have continued doing business with him if it believed he was using the bank in any way to commit his heinous crimes,” JPMorgan said. A trial had been scheduled for 23 October.
Ariel Smith, the attorney general of the Virgin Islands, said: “This settlement is an historic victory for survivors and for state enforcement, and it should sound the alarm on Wall Street about banks’ responsibilities under the law to detect and prevent human trafficking.” As a component of the settlement, the bank committed to implementing more robust policies aimed at addressing human trafficking going forward.
These measures include promptly reporting suspected cases to authorities and taking measures to close the accounts of individuals involved in trafficking. Marci Hamilton, founder of children’s rights group Child USA, said the settlement with JPMorgan Chase served “as a profound, landmark moment for women and girls that have fallen prey to human trafficking across the country and beyond.” “Our nation’s biggest banks have been put on notice,” said Hamilton.
Epstein passed away in August 2019 while in a Manhattan jail cell as he awaited trial on charges of sex trafficking. The New York City medical examiner officially ruled his death as a suicide. Back in July, the US Virgin Islands (USVI) indicated its demand for JP Morgan to pay a minimum of $190 million, which included a $150 million civil fine, and potentially even more to settle the lawsuit.
The USVI alleged that JP Morgan continued to maintain Epstein as a valued client even after his 2006 arrest on prostitution charges and his subsequent guilty plea two years later. Furthermore, it claimed that some bank officials remained in contact with him long after he was let go. Both lawsuits exposed lapses in JP Morgan’s client oversight procedures, highlighting numerous instances where employees urged the bank to cease its business dealings with Epstein.
The settlement reached on Tuesday resolves an uncommon public relations challenge for Jamie Dimon, who has served as JP Morgan’s CEO since 2006. Dimon, testifying under oath in May, claimed he had limited knowledge of Epstein until the financier’s arrest in July 2019. JP Morgan had contended that the US Virgin Islands (USVI) shared responsibility for enabling Epstein’s sex trafficking by offering him tax incentives and waiving monitoring requirements in exchange for monetary contributions and gifts to local officials, including a former first lady.
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Epstein had ownership of two private islands within the territory, with one allegedly purchased to shield his misconduct from prying eyes. In November, the USVI reached a settlement with Epstein’s estate, totaling at least $105 million. Deutsche Bank, where Epstein had been a client from 2013 to 2018, reached a $75 million settlement in May with women who alleged Epstein sexually abused them.