Bank of America, BNY sued over alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein
A woman is suing Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon for their alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, claiming they maintained relationships with him and failed to report suspicious activities until after his death in 2019.
The class-action lawsuits, filed in Manhattan federal court, allege that Epstein was able to run his trafficking operation with the help of banks like the defendants.
The complaint against Bank of America details the sexual abuse the plaintiff suffered at the hands of Epstein.
The lawsuit states that the plaintiff was sexually abused by Epstein on over 100 occasions between 2011 and 2019.
The document also highlights the extent of Epstein’s alleged crimes, stating that he was abusing multiple young females daily.
The lawsuit reveals that Epstein and his accountant used accounts at Bank of America set up for the plaintiff for several years.
Previous lawsuits against big banks have resulted in settlements, with JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank settling without admitting wrongdoing.
The latest lawsuits were filed by lawyers who have represented many of Epstein’s victims and previously filed similar cases against other banks.
The complaints include claims under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act and related tort claims under New York law.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin sent letters to the CEOs of major banks asking how Epstein and his associates were able to conduct suspicious transactions for years without detection.
Senate investigators demanded that Bank of America explain how it handled Epstein-related payments and transactions.
In a letter, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden emphasized the importance of financial institutions showing accountability in cases like Epstein’s.
