Epstein Victim Suing JPMorgan Seeks Class-Action Status

A victim of Jeffrey Epstein asked a judge to let her represent more than 100 other women in a lawsuit alleging that JPMorgan Chase & Co. facilitated their abuse by the late financier.

A second victim filed an almost identical request in her lawsuit seeking to hold Deutsche Bank AG responsible for helping Epstein by providing financial services.

Both of the women’s requests, filed late Friday in Manhattan federal court by attorney David Boies, described the banks as “Epstein’s secret weapon that made years of sexual abuse and trafficking possible.”

“The crucial element that allowed Jeffrey Epstein to perpetrate these crimes for years was his access to loads of cash from a bank that knew exactly what he was doing and helped him avoid regulators’ scrutiny so that the bank could have its take,” the victims’ lawyer wrote.

Lawyers for the women say the class-action status for the suits is justified because of the large number of victims who were exploited by Epstein. An expert hired by the women’s lawyers say the number of victims is more than 100, according to their motions.

Both banks have denied any knowledge of Epstein’s conduct. JPMorgan further argues the claims against it, which relate to events between 1998 and 2013, are barred by the statute of limitations.

The women sued under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, a new state law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on civil sexual assault claims even if they are decades old. Both banks say the law doesn’t apply to them.

The case is Jane Doe 1 v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, 22-cv-10019, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). The other case is Jane Doe 1 v. Deutsche Bank Akteingesellschaft, 22-cv-10018, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Photograph: A protester holds up a sign of Jeffrey Epstein in front of the federal courthouse in New York on July 8, 2019. Photo credit: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Related: