Bank of America Settlement with Jeffery Epstein Survivor
Courtesy of BBC
By Brionna Gillis
Bank of America has agreed to pay Jeffery Epstein sex trafficking survivors $72.5 million. The survivor named in the case “BOA Jane Doe,” and her attorneys told a federal judge last Friday that a settlement had been reached with Bank of America on a proposed class-action lawsuit on Epstein’s decades of abuse and trafficking of women and teenage girls for $72.5 million, per MSN.
The lawsuit filed last year, alleged that Bank of America provided banking services to Jeffery Epstein and his sex-trafficking operation, along with accounts used by victims and associates.
The plaintiffs allege the bank failed to properly monitor accounts and did not file timely suspicious activity reports concerning questionable transitions.
Bank of America has denied liability or wrongdoings but settled to avoid a trial, per MSN.
“While we stand by our prior statements made in the filings in this case, including that Bank of America did facilitate sex trafficking crimes, this resolution allows us to put this matter behind us and provides further closure for the plaintiffs,” said Bank of America in a statement to NBC News.
The survivor’s attorney said they were aware of at least 60 women that were abused or trafficked, however the settlement only covers the ones who experienced abuse at the hands of Epstein and those in connection with between June 30th, 2008 and July 6, 2019.
Bank of America is not the only bank being sued for their alleged involvements with Epstein. JP Morgan which settled for $290 million and Deutsche Bank which settled for $75 million, are stated to pay more than 1,000 women that Epstein abused throughout the years.
“I think that it is very telling that they decided to settle instead of going through with the trial. They aren’t the first bank or large company to do this,” said Kennedy Job, a third-year criminal justice major with a minor in sociology on the pre-law track. “I feel as though people were definitely active in participating with his crimes and turned a blind eye to it, but there is a lack of accountability,”
The settlement is scheduled to be approved April 2.
