JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank ordered to face lawsuits over Jeffrey Epstein ties

NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) – A U.S. choose said on Monday JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) have to experience lawsuits accusing them of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual intercourse trafficking.

The conclusion by U.S. District Decide Jed Rakoff in Manhattan could expose the banking companies to extra economic and reputational harm for keeping Epstein as a client, even immediately after the late financier registered as a sex offender.

In a six-paragraph buy, Rakoff said JPMorgan have to deal with a lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands accusing it of missing red flags about Epstein’s abuse of women on Very little St. James, a private island he owned there.

The choose also dominated that both equally banking companies will have to deal with proposed course steps by ladies who said Epstein sexually abused them. He explained he would clarify his reasoning in owing system.

Rakoff’s selection gives the plaintiffs a probability to show that JPMorgan and Deutsche Financial institution knowingly benefited from involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking.

The girls can also consider to present that the financial institutions were being negligent and obstructed enforcement of a federal anti-trafficking law.

Brad Edwards, a attorney for the girls, reported damages in a scheduled October demo covering additional than 300 Epstein victims could complete billions of bucks.

The JPMorgan circumstances drew added focus when Jes Staley, previously JPMorgan’s personal banking main, was accused of swapping sexually suggestive messages about youthful ladies with the financier, and committing sexual assault himself.

‘LANDMARK DECISION’

Both banking institutions have stated they had no authorized responsibility to shield gals from Epstein and denied accusations they realized about his abuses.

Epstein had been a customer of JPMorgan from 2000 to 2013, and Deutsche Bank from 2013 to 2018.

JPMorgan spokeswoman Trish Wexler and Deutsche Financial institution spokesman Dylan Riddle declined to comment on Rakoff’s ruling.

“It is a landmark selection,” Edwards explained an job interview.

“To my information, it can be the to start with time a course of victims can pursue intercourse trafficking conditions towards two major economical institutions,” he extra. “Complicity of the banking companies was a essential component of Epstein’s abuses, and this gives a last layer of accountability.”

Carol Thomas-Jacobs, the U.S. Virgin Islands acting legal professional standard, in a statement explained her office’s case would help assure that banks act as “a 1st line of defense in determining and reporting likely human trafficking, as the law expects.”

The territory formerly recovered a lot more than $105 million from Epstein’s estate in a settlement in November, even though about 138 Epstein accusers have been in 2021 awarded more than $121 million from a compensation fund, also funded by the estate.

Epstein killed himself at age 66 in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking.

He had pleaded guilty to a Florida point out prostitution demand in 2008, and later registered as a intercourse offender.

STALEY DEPOSITION

The lawsuits accused JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank of turning a blind eye to Epstein’s abuses for the reason that he was an crucial consumer, and allowing him make several wire transfers to shell out victims.

In its criticism, the U.S. Virgin Islands also proposed that JPMorgan Main Govt Jamie Dimon was informed of Epstein’s crimes and the bank’s role in advancing them.

The plaintiff in a single of the JPMorgan cases, recognized as Jane Doe 1, mentioned she was a ballet dancer whom Epstein trafficked from 2006 to 2013.

In the Deutsche Financial institution situation, the plaintiff, also known as Jane Doe 1, reported Epstein sexually abused her from 2003 to 2018.

JPMorgan is independently suing Staley for concealing what he understood about Epstein, and needs him to return eight many years of pay out and deal with losses in the other lawsuits.

Staley has admitted owning been helpful with Epstein but expressed regret for the partnership and denied realizing about Epstein’s alleged crimes.

He became Barclays Plc’s (BARC.L) chief executive just after leaving JPMorgan, but resigned in November 2021 amid regulatory problems about his relationship with Epstein.

Brendan Sullivan, a attorney for Staley, did not immediately reply to requests for remark .

JPMorgan attorneys are anticipated to concern Staley under oath on Thursday and Friday, and Edwards said he has asked Dimon to submit to questioning.

The instances in the U.S. District Court docket, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v Deutsche Bank AG et al, No. 22-10018 Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019 Authorities of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904 and JPMorgan Chase Lender NA v Staley, in Nos. 22-10019 and 22-10904.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Enhancing by Chizu Nomiyama, Richard Chang and Cynthia Osterman

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