In a move that is certain to further fuel relentless conspiracy theorists, JPMorgan has announced a $75 million settlement in a U.S. Virgin Islands lawsuit that alleged it enabled and benefited from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
In separate statements on Tuesday, both JPMorgan Chase and U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Ariel M. Smith detailed the settlement agreement, which includes payments of $30 million toward regional charity groups focused on human trafficking and $25 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands “to enhance the infrastructure and capabilities of law enforcement to prevent and combat human trafficking and other crimes in their territories.”
Additionally, JPMorgan will pay another $20 million in attorneys’ fees in connection with the lawsuit. As has been made clear in a slew of headlines over the years, including amid (but not limited to) coverage of Epstein's 2019 suicide while behind bars, the convicted sex offender held a residence in the Virgin Islands.
"This settlement is an historic victory for survivors and for state enforcement, and it should sound the alarm on Wall Street about banks’ responsibilities under the law to detect and prevent human trafficking,” Attorney General Smith said on Tuesday, adding that her office looked forward to “building a new relationship with JPMorgan.”
The $75 million settlement is not the first of its kind. In fact, JPMorgan was reported back in June to have reached a separate deal worth an estimated $290 million. That deal was in response to a class action suit against the bank from an unidentified woman, with the central allegations notably similar to those in the USVI suit.
As was the case in June, Tuesday’s statement from JPMorgan Chase included a clarification from the bank that its settlement “does not involve admissions of liability.” In fact, the bank again expressed regret for having any association with Epstein, claiming it would “never have continued doing business with him” if they knew the extent of what was transpiring during that time.
Still, this is all sure to help the litany of conspiracy theories Epstein to persist for the foreseeable future, even the more outlandish and repeatedly debunked ones. As for why these theories have persisted, plenty have taken a crack at breaking down the whys and the hows and related questions. Key to it all, of course, are the ingredients: rich bastards, politicians, easily applicable scapegoats, numerous straw men, and a suicide.
It all lends itself to both fair questions and to half-brained conspiracy types, particularly those who presumably wake up each morning and immediately start Googling shit like “Jeffrey Epstein suicide” and “5G vaccine” and "how to review-bomb any movie that doesn't center entirely on a straight white man."
For a recent example of this in action, look no further than a photo that went viral earlier this year alongside claims that it showed Epstein with the Island Boys as children. Of course, the photo did not actually show any such thing and was actually traced back to the work of a deceptive AI account.
Having said all of that, it's still imperative to maintain a firm Fuck Banks stance. You can't even trust them with your coke, let alone your money.
