Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
Sex trafficking requires more than one person to be involved in the process. So it should come as no surprise that the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking didn’t stop with Epstein. His wife, Ghislaine Maxwell, was also found guilty of child sex trafficking and other crimes in connection with the abuse she and her husband committed on an ongoing basis.
Epstein and Maxwell were both very well-connected people, so it’s no wonder that people have speculated as to who knew about the sex trafficking before Epstein was arrested and the public became aware of his crimes. The horror and scope of the crimes has also led many to believe that it could not have been as secretive as many of those connected to Epstein have claimed. Since Epstein’s arrest, everyone from celebrities to politicians on both sides of the aisle have been accused of at least knowing about – if not directly participating in – Epstein’s sex trafficking.
Now the lawsuits have spread to some of the banks connected with Epstein’s vast wealth, including Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase. They also sued the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned a small island on which he imprisoned his victims.
The lawsuits were filed by two women, both of whom were listed as Jane Doe. They are seeking class action status so that other women who were abused by Epstein can get some sort of reparations through the lawsuits while protecting their identities for the sake of their safety.
The lawsuits claim the banks knew about Epstein’s sex trafficking, and that they benefited from it, choosing their own profits over the safety and wellbeing of the women.
In 2006, Epstein was arrested and pled guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution. The lawsuit alleges that case was a red flag that should have prompted the banks to steer clear of Epstein. In addition to profiting off Epstein’s sex trafficking, the lawsuit alleges Epstein’s crimes could not have continued at the rate he perpetuated them without funding from Deutsche and JPMorgan Chase.
According to the lawsuits, the banks should have known Epstein was engaging in sex trafficking. The banks insist they did their due diligence in researching Epstein before working with him. They deny any allegations of negligence on their part that may have led to the continued abuse of the girls and women Epstein was assaulting and trafficking. They also deny having benefited financially from any of Epstein’s crimes.
JP Morgan Chase made sure to express sympathy for Epstein’s victims and to agree that they deserve justice for the horrors they were forced to endure on Epstein’s private island. But they continue to insist that, in this case, the lawsuit is looking for justice in the wrong places.
Deutsche Bank insisted it provided nothing more than routine banking services to Epstein from 2013 to 2018. Both banks filed a motion for the lawsuits against them to be dismissed on the grounds that they allegedly have no merit.