JPMorgan claims former First Lady of U.S. Virgin Islands helped Jeffrey Epstein ... trends now
The former First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands has been accused by JPMorgan bank of assisting Jeffrey Epstein traffic young women and girls to the territory.
The bank has long faced questions about their relationship with Epstein: he banked with them until 2013, despite being convicted of 'solicitation of prostitution with a minor' in 2008, and sentenced to jail.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, which is managing Epstein's estate, accused JPMorgan of turning a blind eye to his activities and enabling him: the bank on Monday reached a tentative settlement with his victims, paying up to $290 million as part of a class action lawsuit settlement.
JPMorgan has said it regrets its relationship with Epstein but is not responsible for his crimes.
On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal published documents - filed late on Wednesday - by which the bank hit back, accusing the former First Lady of the territory of aiding Epstein.
Cecile de Jongh was First Lady of the USVI from 2007-15. She worked for Jeffrey Epstein from at least 2000, earning $100,000 a year
Epstein owned this island in the USVI, Little St. James. He bought it in 1998 for $7 million, and bought its larger neighbor, Great St. James, 18 years later. In May, both were sold to financier Stephen Deckoff for $60 million: he intends to turn them into a resort
Jeffrey Epstein is seen in December 2010 with Prince Andrew in Central Park, shortly after Epstein was released from prison
Cecile de Jongh worked for Epstein from at least 2000, managing his USVI office. She was paid $100,000 a year, plus $50,000 for her children's school fees.
Her husband, John de Jongh, was governor of the USVI from 2007-15.
According to additional documents obtained last month by The Virgin Islands Consortium, JPMorgan's attorneys accuse her of being Epstein's 'primary conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI.'
She is accused of guiding Epstein on 'how to buy control of the USVI political class.'
The new filing claims that the Virgin Islands 'protected Epstein, fostering the perfect conditions for Epstein's criminal conduct to continue undetected.'
The bank states: 'Rather than stop him, they helped him.'
De Jongh was allegedly at the heart of Epstein's efforts to ingratiate himself in USVI power circles.
In December 2015, she wrote to him, according to the court filings: 'It is important to me that you know that I take this job, my management of your team and our implementation of your requests very seriously and that they be done in the most confidential of ways.'
Cecile de Jongh is pictured with her husband John, who was the governor of the territory from 2007-15
Epstein's victims were enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands (pictured), with help from de Jongh
Epstein's island featured a strange blue and white temple-style structure
De Jongh helped get visas for several alleged victims of Epstein, JPMorgan said in court filings.
She connected one woman to a local immigration lawyer, and worked to get others student visas by arranging special classes for them at the University of the Virgin Islands, the bank said.
The victims were enrolled in an English as a second language, or ESL, course at the university.
'They are structuring the class around the ladies. Please let me know so that they know what to do or not to do,' de Jongh wrote to Epstein in June 2013, according to the court filings.
The $8,868 cost of the course would be covered, de Jongh told university employees.
Two students would need a particular type of student visa, she told university staff.
That same year, Epstein donated $20,000 to the university through one of his companies, JPMorgan said in its filing.
In 2014, De Jongh solicited political donations from Epstein and his employees for the congressional campaign of Stacey Plaskett, who was elected as a U.S. representative.
Plaskett told the Journal that she has since donated his campaign contributions to charities for women and children.
'Jeffrey Epstein's conduct was despicable,' said
