11 months ago
70 Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein paid schoolhouse tuition for the children of then-governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose woman made efforts to unafraid pupil visas and a enactment licence for young women connected to Epstein, according to an updated tribunal filing Thursday by JPMorgan Chase.
Those tuition payments, whose duration and amounts were not revealed, allowed then-Gov. John de Jongh Jr. "to funnel further wealth to his governmental campaigns," JPMorgan said successful the filing successful U.S. District Court successful Manhattan.
Epstein besides "offered to money Governor de Jongh's defence successful the Governor's transgression case," wherever the then-governor was charged successful 2015 successful transportation with the usage of nationalist funds to marque information improvements astatine his backstage residence, according to the filing. Those charges were dropped successful aboriginal 2016 by the Virgin Islands Department of Justice.
JPMorgan alleges Epstein's generosity was portion of his broader effort to physique sway connected the islands.
The filing is portion of the bank's defence of a civilian suit by the U.S. Virgin Islands alleging JPMorgan facilitated Epstein's enactment trafficking of young women. Epstein, who was a JPMorgan lawsuit betwixt 1998 and 2013, owned 2 backstage islands successful the territory and abused aggregate young women astatine his residence connected 1 of those islands.
JPMorgan denies wrongdoing successful the case.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is owed to beryllium deposed Friday for the Virgin Islands' lawsuit, arsenic good arsenic for a akin 1 filed against the slope by an accuser of Epstein.
"Lest determination beryllium uncertainty that Epstein's extremity was to summation influence, First Lady [Cecile] de Jongh explicitly advised Epstein connected however to bargain power of the USVI governmental class," the filing says.
The papers besides refers to 1 clip erstwhile Cecile de Jongh was "asking Epstein what visas the 'ladies' person and trying to put English arsenic a Second Language classes for them."
Former Gov. de Jongh served arsenic Virgin Islands politician betwixt 2007 and 2015.
Cecile de Jongh worked for Epstein, managing his companies successful the territory. She made $200,000 successful 2007 alone, the filing notes.
CNBC has reached retired to the de Jonghs for remark done an plus absorption steadfast successful the Virgin Islands wherever the erstwhile politician is simply a director.
The filing was archetypal docketed Tuesday with extended redactions, but it was refiled Thursday, with immoderate details astir erstwhile Gov. de Jongh and Cecile present visible. Also disposable are allegations related to existent Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and his contiguous predecessor successful that office, Kenneth Mapp.
Bryan, who is owed to beryllium deposed June 6 successful the case, suggested schools to which Epstein should donate $50,000, the filing said. Bryan besides asked $30,000 spell to the Virgin Islands Little League, according to the document.
Portions of the filing that were disposable Tuesday said the authorities of the Virgin Islands was "complicit successful the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein."
JPMorgan said Epstein — who died successful 2019 by a jailhouse termination portion awaiting proceedings connected national enactment trafficking charges — gave apical officials successful the territory money, proposal and favors arsenic they looked the different mode erstwhile helium trafficked young women there.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General of the Virgin Islands, successful an emailed connection responding to the updated filing, said, "JPMorgan Chase facilitated Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, and should beryllium held accountable for violating the law."
"This is an evident effort to displacement blasted distant from JPMorgan Chase, which had a ineligible work to study the grounds successful its possession of Epstein's quality trafficking, and failed to bash so," the spokesperson said.
The papers calls Cecile de Jongh, who managed Epstein's companies determination erstwhile she was archetypal lady, "a acceptable partner" successful helping Epstein transport young women to exploit successful the Virgin Islands, wherever helium maintained a home.
The slope alleged Cecile de Jongh was "Epstein's superior conduit for spreading wealth and power passim the USVI government." The filing said she emailed him successful 2011 projected connection for a measure successful the Virgin Islands legislature that would update enactment offender monitoring laws.
"This is the suggested language; volition it enactment for you?" she asked successful that email, according to the filing.
The papers besides said Epstein, who was a registered enactment offender owed to his condemnation successful Florida authorities tribunal successful 2008 for soliciting enactment from a minor, replied, "We should adhd retired of state for much than 7 days, different I could not spell for a time travel to Tortola, astatine the past minute."
JPMorgan alleged Epstein, contempt receiving "lucrative taxation incentives" and "lax enforcement" of his enactment offender presumption from the Virgin Islands, "still could not freely transport and exploit young women without assistance from USVI authorities officials."
The filing said Cecile de Jongh "arranged for Epstein to conscionable with a section migration lawyer to assistance astatine slightest one" young pistillate who needed a visa to sojourn the American territory.
Cecile de Jongh besides "contacted the University of the Virgin Islands … to find retired whether 3 young women could enroll determination to get pupil visas," according to the filing.
"Perhaps cognizant of the hazard successful having a registered enactment offender motion the letter, First Lady de Jongh wrote to Epstein that helium should deliberation astir whether '[he] should motion [the letter] oregon 1 of us,'" the papers said.
"Ultimately UVI structured a bespoke people to enroll victims and supply screen for their beingness successful the territory — the aforesaid twelvemonth Epstein donated $20,000 to the assemblage done 1 of his companies," the filing said.
"In summation to visas, immoderate of the young women Epstein brought to the land besides needed
employment," the filing noted.
The papers said erstwhile 1 of those women needed a dental license, "First Lady de Jongh reached retired to the Director for the Office of Professional Licensure and Health Planning astatine the USVI Department of Health regarding a 'new signifier act' that would person 'significant changes and allowances for reciprocity.'"
"The Director wrote to Ms. de Jongh that erstwhile the enactment went earlier the Senate Committee she would person a 'clearer thought connected what [the young woman's] options are moving forward,'" it said.
The filing alleged Cecile de Jongh besides reached retired to contacts successful the lawyer general's bureau and solicitor general's bureau astir the caller rules.
"Ultimately, First Lady de Jongh was successful," the filing said. "The young pistillate yet set
up a section dental signifier successful the USVI and shared an bureau with Epstein's companies."
In detailing claims Cecile advised Epstein connected however to usage his wealth to power politicians successful the Virgin Islands, the filing says Epstein, astatine her suggestion, "explored paying monthly retainers to USVI politicians to guarantee their 'loyalty and access.'"
"First Lady de Jongh suggested that Epstein 'consider putting Celestino [White] connected immoderate benignant of monthly retainer. That is what volition get you his loyalty and access,'" said the document.
White was a Virgin Islands senator.
The filing besides details however Epstein met often with the enactment of the Virgin Islands Port Authority, which leased hangar abstraction to him astatine its airport, wherever women were brought successful for Epstein.
Cecile de Jongh astatine 1 constituent asked Epstein, connected behalf of her husband, the governor, "if helium would support" the bid by then-Sen. Carlton Dowe to instrumentality to the Port Authority, the filing said.
Dowe, according to the connection from Cecile, would beryllium a "good idiosyncratic for us" there, the filing said.
"Based connected his authorities connections, erstwhile traveling done the USVI's airdrome accompanied by young women arsenic a registered enactment offender, Epstein could number connected his 'great relationship' with the officials determination to debar scrutiny oregon detection," the filing said.
"In sum, successful speech for Epstein's currency and gifts, USVI made beingness casual for him," JPMorgan's filing said.
The papers added, "The authorities mitigated immoderate burdens from his enactment offender status. And it made definite that nary 1 asked excessively galore questions astir his transport and keeping of young girls connected his island."
