Intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein paid college tuition for the kids of then-governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose spouse made efforts to safe scholar visas and a piece license for younger ladies related to Epstein, in keeping with an up to date courtroom submitting Thursday by JPMorgan Chase.
These tuition funds, whose length and quantities weren’t revealed, allowed then-Gov. John de Jongh Jr. “to funnel extra cash to his political campaigns,” JPMorgan stated within the submitting in U.S. District Court docket in Manhattan.
Epstein additionally “supplied to fund Governor de Jongh’s protection within the Governor’s prison case,” the place the then-governor was charged in 2015 in reference to the usage of public funds to make safety enhancements at his non-public residence, in keeping with the submitting. These prices had been dropped in early 2016 by the Virgin Islands Division of Justice.
JPMorgan alleges Epstein’s generosity was a part of his broader effort to construct sway on the islands.
The submitting is a part of the financial institution’s protection of a civil lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands alleging JPMorgan facilitated Epstein’s intercourse trafficking of younger ladies. Epstein, who was a JPMorgan buyer between 1998 and 2013, owned two non-public islands within the territory and abused a number of younger ladies at his residence on a kind of islands.
JPMorgan denies wrongdoing within the case.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is because of be deposed Friday for the Virgin Islands’ lawsuit, in addition to for the same one filed in opposition to the financial institution by an accuser of Epstein.
“Lest there be doubt that Epstein’s objective was to realize affect, First Girl [Cecile] de Jongh explicitly suggested Epstein on easy methods to purchase management of the USVI political class,” the submitting says.
The doc additionally refers to at least one time when Cecile de Jongh was “asking Epstein what visas the ‘women’ have and making an attempt to rearrange English as a Second Language lessons for them.”
Former Gov. de Jongh served as Virgin Islands governor between 2007 and 2015.
Cecile de Jongh labored for Epstein, managing his corporations within the territory. She made $200,000 in 2007 alone, the submitting notes.
CNBC has reached out to the de Jonghs for remark by way of an asset administration agency within the Virgin Islands the place the previous governor is a director.
The submitting was first docketed Tuesday with intensive redactions, but it surely was refiled Thursday, with some particulars about former Gov. de Jongh and Cecile now seen. Additionally seen are allegations associated to present Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and his speedy predecessor in that workplace, Kenneth Mapp.
Bryan, who is because of be deposed June 6 within the case, instructed colleges to which Epstein ought to donate $50,000, the submitting stated. Bryan additionally requested $30,000 go to the Virgin Islands Little League, in keeping with the doc.
Parts of the submitting that had been seen Tuesday stated the federal government of the Virgin Islands was “complicit within the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.”
JPMorgan stated Epstein — who died in 2019 by a jailhouse suicide whereas awaiting trial on federal intercourse trafficking prices — gave prime officers within the territory cash, recommendation and favors as they seemed the opposite approach when he trafficked younger ladies there.
A spokesperson for the Workplace of the Legal professional Common of the Virgin Islands, in an emailed assertion responding to the up to date submitting, stated, “JPMorgan Chase facilitated Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, and must be held accountable for violating the regulation.”
“That is an apparent try to shift blame away from JPMorgan Chase, which had a obligation to report the proof in its possession of Epstein’s human trafficking, and failed to take action,” the spokesperson stated.
The doc calls Cecile de Jongh, who managed Epstein’s corporations there when she was first girl, “a prepared accomplice” in serving to Epstein transport younger ladies to use within the Virgin Islands, the place he maintained a house.
The financial institution alleged Cecile de Jongh was “Epstein’s main conduit for spreading cash and affect all through the USVI authorities.” The submitting stated she emailed him in 2011 proposed language for a invoice within the Virgin Islands legislature that might replace intercourse offender monitoring legal guidelines.
“That is the instructed language; will it be just right for you?” she requested in that e-mail, in keeping with the submitting.
The doc additionally stated Epstein, who was a registered intercourse offender as a consequence of his conviction in Florida state courtroom in 2008 for soliciting intercourse from a minor, replied, “We must always add out of nation for greater than 7 days, in any other case I couldn’t go for a day journey to Tortola, on the final minute.”
JPMorgan alleged Epstein, regardless of receiving “profitable tax incentives” and “lax enforcement” of his intercourse offender standing from the Virgin Islands, “nonetheless couldn’t freely transport and exploit younger ladies with out help from USVI authorities officers.”
The submitting stated Cecile de Jongh “organized for Epstein to fulfill with an area immigration lawyer to help no less than one” younger lady who wanted a visa to go to the American territory.
Cecile de Jongh additionally “contacted the College of the Virgin Islands … to search out out whether or not three younger ladies may enroll there to acquire scholar visas,” in keeping with the submitting.
“Maybe cognizant of the danger in having a registered intercourse offender signal the letter, First Girl de Jongh wrote to Epstein that he ought to take into consideration whether or not ‘[he] ought to signal [the letter] or considered one of us,'” the doc stated.
“In the end UVI structured a bespoke class to enroll victims and supply cowl for his or her presence within the territory — the identical yr Epstein donated $20,000 to the college by way of considered one of his corporations,” the submitting stated.
“Along with visas, a number of the younger ladies Epstein delivered to the island additionally wanted
employment,” the submitting famous.
The doc stated when a kind of ladies wanted a dental license, “First Girl de Jongh reached out to the Director for the Workplace of Skilled Licensure and Well being Planning on the USVI Division of Well being relating to a ‘new apply act’ that might have ‘important adjustments and allowances for reciprocity.'”
“The Director wrote to Ms. de Jongh that after the act went earlier than the Senate Committee she would have a ‘clearer thought on what [the young woman’s] choices are shifting ahead,'” it stated.
The submitting alleged Cecile de Jongh additionally reached out to contacts within the legal professional common’s workplace and solicitor common’s workplace in regards to the new guidelines.
“In the end, First Girl de Jongh was profitable,” the submitting stated. “The younger lady ultimately set
up an area dental apply within the USVI and shared an workplace with Epstein’s corporations.”
In detailing claims Cecile suggested Epstein on easy methods to use his cash to regulate politicians within the Virgin Islands, the submitting says Epstein, at her suggestion, “explored paying month-to-month retainers to USVI politicians to make sure their ‘loyalty and entry.'”
“First Girl de Jongh instructed that Epstein ‘contemplate placing Celestino [White] on some form of month-to-month retainer. That’s what will get you his loyalty and entry,'” stated the doc.
White was a Virgin Islands senator.
The submitting additionally particulars how Epstein met usually with the management of the Virgin Islands Port Authority, which leased hangar house to him at its airport, the place ladies had been introduced in for Epstein.
Cecile de Jongh at one level requested Epstein, on behalf of her husband, the governor, “if he would assist” the bid by then-Sen. Carlton Dowe to return to the Port Authority, the submitting stated.
Dowe, in keeping with the message from Cecile, can be a “good particular person for us” there, the submitting stated.
“Based mostly on his authorities connections, when touring by way of the USVI’s airport accompanied by younger ladies as a registered intercourse offender, Epstein may rely on his ‘nice relationship’ with the officers there to keep away from scrutiny or detection,” the submitting stated.
“In sum, in change for Epstein’s money and presents, USVI made life straightforward for him,” JPMorgan’s submitting stated.
The doc added, “The federal government mitigated any burdens from his intercourse offender standing. And it made positive that nobody requested too many questions on his transport and maintaining of younger women on his island.”