Bank Of America Settles Claims Over Lawsuits By Jeffrey Epstein Victims

Bank of America has tentatively settled a suit claiming it ignored suspicious financial transactions involving Jeffrey Epstein while he was sexually abusing hundreds of girls and women.

The projected colony was revealed successful filings successful Manhattan national tribunal connected Monday, nan aforesaid time that billionaire financier Leon Black was primitively scheduled to beryllium deposed successful nan case. Terms were not disclosed. The slope declined to remark done a spokesperson.

Though not a defendant, Black was precocious described arsenic a “critical witness” successful nan lawsuit by Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for Epstein victims.

During a proceeding past week, a lawyer for Black persuaded Judge Jed S. Rakoff to postpone Black's deposition for 10 days connected nan grounds that nan parties were adjacent to settling. The lawyer, Michael Carlinsky, did not instantly respond to a petition for remark Tuesday.

In a statement, McCawley paid tribute to nan “brave and fearless voices” of Epstein victims, saying their “road to justice” has been agelong and trying, but nan Bank of America colony “is 1 much measurement connected nan roadworthy to overmuch deserved justice.”

The October suit accused nan slope of ignoring $170 cardinal Black paid from a Bank of America relationship to Epstein purportedly for “tax and property readying advice.”

It said nan slope ignored “numerous reddish flags” of improper financial dealings, and “went acold beyond what a non-complicit slope would person done and alternatively assisted Epstein successful mounting up nan basal financial building to run his sex-trafficking venture.”

The lawsuit, brought connected behalf of a female identified successful tribunal papers only arsenic Jane Doe and “all others likewise situated,” said nan female was surviving successful Russia erstwhile she met Epstein successful 2011 and was “coerced into a cult-like life.”

It said she was paid by Epstein done a Bank of America relationship arsenic she was controlled “financially, emotionally, and psychologically” by Epstein from 2011 done 2019 arsenic he sexually abused her connected astatine slightest 100 occasions, including raping her and forcing her to prosecute sexually pinch different women for his intersexual gratification.

The suit alleged that Epstein paid her rent and income from a phony occupation done a Bank of America account, and held her migration position “over her head, until her eventual flight erstwhile Jeffrey Epstein died.”

Epstein died successful a national jailhouse successful August 2019 arsenic he awaited proceedings connected activity trafficking charges. His decease was ruled a suicide. He was known for his connections pinch able and powerful men, and nan suit said he utilized it to his advantage successful his attacks connected women.

The caller Justice Department merchandise of millions of pages of documents from rule enforcement probes of Epstein show he had regular interaction pinch CEOs, journalists, scientists and salient politicians agelong aft his 2008 condemnation successful authorities tribunal successful Florida connected activity crimes charges.

A reappraisal of nan documents by The Associated Press and different news organizations showed Black’s sanction appeared 8,200 times, though that fig apt includes immoderate copy records.

In March 2021, Black stepped down arsenic CEO of Apollo Global Management, saying he wanted to attraction connected his family, health, and “many different interests.”

A committee of nan company's committee had issued a study 2 months earlier concluding that Epstein had advised Black personally connected property planning, taxation issues, charitable giving and moving his “family office,” but provided nary services to Apollo aliases invested successful nary Apollo funds.

The study besides said nan reappraisal — which Black requested — recovered “no evidence” that he was progressive pinch Epstein’s alleged criminal activities “in immoderate way” aliases “at immoderate time.”

In a connection Tuesday, Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who sits connected nan Senate Finance Committee, said nan bank's determination to settee was a “step towards justness and a vindication of my staff's investigation into really awesome Wall Street banks enabled Epstein's crimes.”

He said nan slope “willfully looked nan different way” arsenic Black paid Epstein nan $170 cardinal done “huge ligament transfers,” often successful $10 cardinal aliases $20 cardinal installments.

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Associated Press Writer Martha Bellisle successful Washington contributed to this report.