Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein paid college tuition for the youngsters of the then-governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose spouse made efforts to safe pupil visas and a piece license for younger ladies linked to Epstein, in accordance with an up to date courtroom filing Thursday by JPMorgan Chase.
Those tuition funds — whose period and quantities weren’t revealed — allowed then-Gov. John de Jongh Jr. “to funnel further cash to his political campaigns,” JPMorgan stated within the submitting in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Epstein additionally “provided to fund Governor de Jongh’s protection within the Governor’s felony case,” the place the then-former governor was charged in 2015 in reference to the use of public funds to make safety enhancements at his personal residence, in accordance with the submitting. Those costs have been dropped in early 2016 by the Virgin Islands Department of Justice.
JPMorgan alleges Epstein’s generosity was half of his broader effort to construct sway on the islands.
The submitting is a component 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 from 1998 to 2013, owned two personal islands within the territory and abused a number of younger ladies at his residence on one of these 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 an identical one filed towards the financial institution by an accuser of Epstein.
“Lest there be doubt that Epstein’s aim was to achieve affect, First Lady [Cecile] de Jongh explicitly suggested Epstein on learn how 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.”
John de Jongh served as Virgin Islands governor from 2007 by 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 an asset administration agency within the Virgin Islands the place John de Jongh is a director.
The submitting was first docketed on Tuesday with intensive redactions.
But on Thursday, it was refiled, with some particulars about former Gov. de Jongh and Cecile now seen. Also seen are allegations associated to present Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and his quick predecessor in that workplace, Kenneth Mapp.
Bryan, who is because of be deposed June 6 within the case, prompt faculties to which Epstein ought to donate $50,000, the submitting stated. Bryan additionally requested that $30,000 go to the Virgin Islands Little League, in accordance with the doc.
Portions of the submitting that have been seen Tuesday stated that the federal government of the Virgin Islands was “complicit within the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.”
JPMorgan stated that Epstein — who died in 2019 by a jailhouse suicide whereas awaiting trial on federal intercourse trafficking costs — gave prime officers within the territory cash, recommendation and favors as they regarded the opposite means when he trafficked younger ladies there.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General 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.”
“This 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 associate” in serving to Epstein transport younger ladies to take advantage of 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 will replace intercourse offender monitoring legal guidelines.
“This is the prompt language; will it work for you?” she requested in that e-mail, in accordance with the submitting.
The doc additionally stated that Epstein, who was a registered intercourse offender attributable to his conviction in Florida state courtroom in 2008 for soliciting intercourse from a minor, replied: “We ought to 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 that 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 satisfy with a neighborhood immigration lawyer to help not less than one” younger girl who wanted a visa to go to the American territory.
Cecile de Jongh additionally “contacted the University of the Virgin Islands … to search out out whether or not three younger ladies may enroll there to acquire pupil visas,” in accordance with the submitting.
“Perhaps cognizant of the chance in having a registered intercourse offender signal the letter, First Lady de Jongh wrote to Epstein that he ought to take into consideration whether or not ‘[he] ought to signal [the letter] or one of us,'” the doc stated.
“Ultimately UVI structured a bespoke class to enroll victims and supply cowl for their presence within the territory — the identical yr Epstein donated $20,000 to the college by one of his corporations,” the submitting stated.
“In addition to visas, some of the younger ladies Epstein delivered to the island additionally wanted
employment,” the submitting famous.
The doc stated that when one of these ladies wanted a dental license, “First Lady de Jongh reached out to the Director for the Office of Professional Licensure and Health Planning on the USVI Department of Health concerning a ‘new observe act’ that will have ‘important modifications 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 lawyer basic’s workplace and solicitor basic’s workplace concerning the new guidelines.
“Ultimately, First Lady de Jongh was profitable,” the submitting stated. “The younger girl ultimately set
up a neighborhood dental observe within the USVI and shared an workplace with Epstein’s corporations.”
In detailing claims that Cecile suggested Epstein on learn how to use his cash to manage politicians within the USVI, the submitting says that Epstein, at her suggestion, “explored paying month-to-month retainers to USVI politicians to make sure their ‘loyalty and entry.'”
“First Lady de Jongh prompt that Epstein “think about placing Celestino [White] on some type of month-to-month retainer. That is what’s going to get you his loyalty and entry,'” stated the doc.
White was a USVI senator.
The submitting additionally particulars how Epstein met usually with the management of the USVI Port Authority, which leased hangar area to him at its airport, the place ladies have been introduced in for Epstein.
Cecile de Jongh at one level requested Epstein, on behalf of her husband, the governor, “if he would help” the bid by then-USVI Sen. Carlton Dowe to return to the Port Authority, the submitting stated.
Dowe, in accordance with the message from Cecile, could be a “good particular person for us” there, the submitting stated.
“Based on his authorities connections, when touring by 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 alternate for Epstein’s money and items, USVI made life straightforward for him,” JPMorgan’s submitting stated.
The doc added: “The authorities mitigated any burdens from his intercourse offender standing. And it made positive that nobody requested too many questions on his transport and protecting of younger ladies on his island.”
