JPMorgan Chase defends lawsuit by blaming US Virgin Islands for Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes

By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase is defending itself against a lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands accusing it of empowering Jeffrey Epstein to abuse teenage girls. Lawyers for the giant bank said in court papers Tuesday that it was the islands that enabled the financier to commit his crimes. The lawyers say the Virgin Islands’ government was complicit and let high ranking officials be bought off with Epstein’s money, advice, influence and favors. They say the islands most directly failed for two decades to protect public safety as officials looked the other way when Epstein went through its airports with girls and young women.