← The Epstein Chronicles
The Epstein Chronicles
Epstein, Banks & Accountability: The Fight That’s Just Beginning
00:18:09
The newly filed lawsuits against major banks like Bank of America and BNY Mellon allege that these institutions knowingly enabled Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operations by providing him with banking services, ignoring red flags, and failing to...
Loading summary
Transcript5 lines
- [00:00]
A
This week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons. Get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound. Member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus. Selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each. Member price be. Visit safewayralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.
- [00:30]
B
What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. Whenever you're talking about the banks, it's always the same story, right? When it's the little guy, justice moves like a freight train. But when it's the banks, it moves like molasses. You miss one payment on your credit card and they're blowing up your phone. You fall behind on your mortgage, they'll have a foreclosure notice on your door before you can say recession. But when a billionaire pedophile like Jeffrey Epstein is moving millions through offshore accounts, shell companies and private foundations, suddenly the banks are blind, deaf and dumb. JP Morgan, Deutsche bank, and the rest of the financial giants didn't just miss the signs. They were the signs. They saw the cash flow of the private jets, the wire transfers from foreign accounts, the payouts to young women listed as assistants, and they didn't bat an eye. Why? Because it was profitable. Because Epstein's dirty money was still green. And greed always speaks louder than morality in those marble lined boardrooms. These banks didn't just look the other way. They enabled them. They built the financial scaffolding that held up his operation. They offered him white glove service while he was abusing girls and moving cash around like a criminal enterprise. They courted him. They invited him to galas. They used him to pull in new clients. And then the truth came out. When the magnitude of his crimes was laid bare, what did the institutions that serve him face? A few press releases, a couple of settlements and fines that don't even make a dent in their quarterly profits. A few hundred million dollars here or there, written off as the cost of doing business. Meanwhile, the survivors live with lifelong scars. And not one executive has spent a single night in a cell. And look, let's not pretend it's some shocking new revelation. We saw this same playbook back in 2008 and 2009. The global economy collapses because of Wall Street's greed and reckless gambling. And who pays the price? Well, regular people, families, homeowners, Workers, the bankers walked away with bailouts and bonuses, while the rest of us got wiped out. They tanked the economy and got rewarded for it. So tell me, why should anyone believe they'd ever be held accountable for enabling Epstein? The system has proven time and time again that it protects its own. The same people who control the money control the laws. They control the regulators, they control the politicians. And when the heat's on, they throw a few dollars at the problem and call it accountability. When Epstein's world started to unravel, the financial sector didn't recoil. They. They scrambled to cover their own tracks. Internal emails, compliance memos, and whistleblower reports show just how deeply this all went. Executives joked about his reputation, but kept him as a client anyway. They ignored reports of cash withdrawals, ignored the warnings of compliance officers, and in some cases, even helped structure payments to keep his activities quiet. And what that is, is criminal behavior, hiding behind corporate logos and. And billion dollar balance sheets. But here's the truth. The financial system is unimpeachable. It's the one cathedral that never burns. You can take down a government, you can topple a monarchy. But the banks, they survive it all. They survive the Great Depression. They survive the housing collapse. And they'll survive Epstein, too. Because the penalties they face aren't punishments, they're public relations expenses. They don't fear the law because they are the law. And practice, they. They write it, they fund the campaigns that pass it. They built a fortress of influence so strong that even when they're caught enabling monsters like Epstein, they emerge untouched, issuing statements about improved compliance and corporate accountability. So, no, don't hold your breath waiting for justice here. These people who profited from Epstein's blood money will never truly face what they deserve. The fines are a farce. The apologies are scripted, and the entire system is rigged to protect itself. In their world, money doesn't just talk. It rewrites history. And in that world, money cleans all sins, even the kind that ruins lives, destroys innocence, and poisons the soul of an entire nation. Today's article is from the Guardian, and the headline, lawsuits against banks with Epstein ties may shed new light on financiers crimes. This article was authored by Victoria the Kempis. For years, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have demanded justice. For a while, it seemed like they would get it. Yeah. No, never seemed like we were gonna get justice, ever. Even with Glenn Maxwell. We all knew how deep this went. And we all knew that the banks were playing a huge role behind the scenes. So, sure, a little piece of justice Maybe by arresting Glenn Maxwell. But is that the end of it? That should have been the start of it, not the end of it. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's girlfriend. You mean co conspirator, fellow, all around scumbag, child abuser, and bipedal serpent. That's what you mean, right? Because she wasn't his girlfriend in any kind of normal use of the word. Keep in mind that everything he did was transactional. It wasn't because he had feelings for Ghislaine Maxwell. It was because she offered him another cog in the machine. Meanwhile, banks who had done business with Epstein, although not admitting wrongdoing, paid hundreds of millions in settlements to victims. Donald Trump even made releasing the Epstein investigative files part of his campaign platform and doubled down on his promise to do so earlier this year. Spoiler alert. That didn't work out. In the end, Trump's Justice Department did not release these files, and his administration has become embroiled in reports about social ties between. Between him and Epstein. Congressional promises to release files have lagged due to political jockeying and Justice Department foot dragging. And unfortunately, all of this is going just as I predicted. If you thought that we were going to get transparency from the Department of Justice, you're crazy. And frankly, the Department of Justice doesn't even have all the files that we want, because a lot of these files are held by the CIA. And, and I don't know if you know this or not, but the CIA, well, they like to keep secrets. And if you think they're ever going to let anybody know for a fact that they were involved with Jeffrey Epstein, you're crazy. Can you imagine the uproar? Can you imagine what people would say, what people would do if they had the actual receipts and not just people telling them that this happened? Because I guarantee you that the receipts exist 100%. And for those of you who have listened to the podcast, you know, I don't say that kind of shit about anything, really. But in this instance, I have no doubt, I am truly convinced that those files exist. And from everybody that I've talked to, they all say that they're in the possession of intelligence, whether that's the CIA or whatever clandestine black group that's being run by the CIA, that's another discussion. But if anyone thinks that these files that we're talking about that are going to tie Jeffrey Epstein to intelligence are sitting in some DOJ cabinet, they're crazy. They're not. And that's why I always thought that the Pam Bondi nonsense was exactly That a bunch of nonsense. And I caught a lot of flack from people when I pointed this out because they wanted to tell me that, you know, it's going to be the most transparent administration ever, that we're going to get all these files and that finally we're going to get transparency and get to the bottom of what happened. Only for that tune to change as soon as they got into power and got a look at whatever they got a look at. So what did they see in those files that was so incriminating, so disturbing, that they decided to just burn their credibility instead? And I think that right there tells you everything you need to know about how damning the information is. Because if this information wasn't damning, do you really think that Donald Trump in the administration would let this fire continue to burn, or do you think that they'd do something different and release the files? We already know what they would do. If this was beneficial to them, these files would have been released yesterday. But the problem is the people that are paying the bills, the financial sector, they don't want these files out there. And I've been telling you folks that for a long time. You know, we talk about intelligence, and there's no doubt that intelligence played a huge role in, in creating Epstein. But it's all done in conjunction with the financial sector. Again, you gotta follow the money. And no matter how you do that, when it comes to Epstein, all roads lead back to the financial sector. But two more lawsuits could shed light on Epstein's activities amid a stalemate. Regardless of their outcome. The lawsuits filed by anonymous plaintiff against bank of America and the bank of New York Mellon allege that the financial powerhouses of illicitly enabled Epstein sex trafficking. And the suits are helmed by Sigrid McCauley of Boys Schiller Flexner and Brad Edwards of Edwards Henderson, who have long represented Epstein victims. Epstein committed these crimes by means of not only his own extraordinary wealth and power, but through access to funding and financial support from both individuals and institutions, including bny. One lawsuit claims egregiously, BNY had a plethora of information regarding Epstein's sex trafficking operation, but chose profit over protecting the victims. And unfortunately, that is the financial sector to a tee. They don't give a flying fuck about any of you. I don't know how many times I gotta say it. I mean, go to the bank, go and try and get a loan, especially if you're poor and see how you're treated. Meanwhile, they're moving and processing over $1.5 billion of Epstein's blood money. Or how about every single time you pay your credit card and you're paying that 30 APR or whatever it might be, because at the end of the day, you're the one funding all their. Right. We're the ones using their banks, we're the ones making these transactions. We're the ones beholden to the financial sector. Not like we can uncouple from them. So they definitely hold all the cards. And if you think they care about people complaining about what they're doing, they don't. I mean, go. Throughout history, the financial sector has funded both sides of every major conflict we've ever had. I mean, going all the way back in history. And who always comes out on top? No matter who wins, no matter how many people are killed, no matter how much destruction there is, the financial sector always comes out smelling like roses. And the same is going to be true here. Even though we all know that there's a lot of people that were involved, a lot of people that enabled Jeffrey Epstein. And for me, a lot of this has to do with money laundering. That's something nobody even talks about, really. They talk about, you know, the trafficking part, and that's important. But like I always say, if you want to get people like this and you want it to stick, go after them financially, because that's the weak spot. That's the chink in the armor. The bank of America suit echoes these allegations, claiming the institution knowingly provided the financial support and the veneer of institutional legitimacy for Epstein and his co conspirators to fuel their international trafficking operation, all under the guise of non criminal business activity. The suit also said bank of America neglected to file suspicious activity reports. And I promise you, if you went and made some moves the way Epstein's team was making moves at the bank, you'd get SARD right away. Wouldn't even be a discussion. Meanwhile, you have Epstein's people over here at the bank structuring their, you know, withdrawals and deposits, making sure they don't go over the $10,000 mark. That way they don't trigger CTR this
- [12:14]
A
week with digital coupons at Safeway. And Albertsons. Get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more and a single transaction exclusions apply. See Store for details. And broccoli, cauliflower or Russet potatoes are $0.97 per pound Member Price limit £6 plus selected sizes and varieties of lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each member price. Visit safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.
- [12:44]
B
And when that happens, the bank is supposed to realize that, notice it and file a suspicious activity report. But they didn't do it. Ask yourself why and then ask yourself who is in charge and whoever that person is, whoever's signature is on the transactions, they should get called before Congress. Seems pretty simple to me. No long time attorneys who spoke to the Guardian said proving such a case would be difficult. But they also identified possible outcomes which which could provide solace to accusers or disclosure of long sought after information. Nima Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who founded West Coast Trial Lawyers, said evidence has to show that an institution's actions led to harm. I don't think the lawsuit has much of a chance of success and obviously I am on the side of the victims and I want them to get answers and criminal justice and compensation, rahmani said. It all comes down to evidence. Rahmani said a lawyer would need to prove causation, which would mean but for the defendant's conduct, the injury wouldn't have occurred. In this instance, it would boil down to but for the bank's conduct, the victim maybe wouldn't have been trafficked, Rahmani explained an attorney would also have to go beyond a but for measure. It's not just but for causation. It also has to be substantial factor that is a legal test. So whatever misconduct there was, if there was any misconduct, the defendant's misconduct has to have been a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff harm by engaging in a business relationship with Epstein. Is that a substantial factor? I don't know. Well, if he's moving illegal money and money that's laundered, I would say that that's causation and I would think that that would be the cause to open an investigation and dig deeper. And I don't think there's any doubt that that was happening. So when are they going to dive into the financials? That's the question we should all be asking. And hopefully this new lawsuit with all this attention around it will lead to a few doors opening and maybe us getting some answers. Liability aside, suits like this could put institutions on notice that relationships with those accused of wrongdoing can have damaging implications for them. It's a PR nightmare, he said. It's if the banks try to get these suits dismissed and fail, Rahmani expects a swift settlement. No one wants to litigate any of the Epstein related cases. Yeah, they don't want discovery. That's what they're all trying to avoid. That's why they all settle. Eric Faddis, a trial attorney and founder of the Colorado law firm Varner Faddis and former prosecutor, said companies can be liable in this situation. Whether the banks have liability is going to hinge in part on on what the banks knew, whether they had any knowledge of alleged abuse or criminal wrongdoing and somehow provided assistance to Epstein. But even then, I think it's going to be difficult to sort of loop the banks into some kind of sex trafficking scheme. The banks would probably not be privy to the details of allegations, Fat has said while Epstein's Florida conviction was public. It's not illegal for a bank to have a client who's an unsavory person. It is illegal for a bank to somehow be complicit in the criminal activity of a client. But those two issues are very different and I think it's going to be a tough lawsuit against the banks. That said, important aspects of the litigation could help Epstein's survivors. And look, I don't know if they're going to be successful or not, but I do know that the lawsuit is just and righteous because the banks need to be held to account. The lawsuits have the potential to reveal more information about the ongoing Epstein saga, Fadis said, even though there have been sort of walls put up at every turn for folks seeking this information, when there is a lawsuit, there's a discovery process and that discovery process often requires disclosure of information that was not previously public. Edwards said in a statement that the suits could have a deterrent effect and accomplish what lawmakers have failed to do. The lawsuits are necessary to complete justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein as well for future would be victims who will suffer from similar trafficking organizations. If our financial institutions are not held accountable for the essential role each plays either in providing the necessary infrastructure for the illegal operation or recognizing the financial component of these crimes and putting an end to it. We have a far better chance of making a real difference than than Congress because we know the facts and history of the case and are not motivated by politics, but rather by a genuine desire to make a real difference and to protect the survivors who have already suffered tremendously. We approach these matters without any political agenda and thus cannot be deterred by shutdowns, protecting wealthy, politically connected individuals or other embarrassing partisan gamesmanship you and the rest of the world have had to watch unfold recently. Yeah, it's trash. 100% trash. And that's why I've been calling it out from the jump. Anyone making this political is crazy because all you're doing is protecting the scumbags who were involved in the nightmare, mccauley said in a statement. As Congress works towards unraveling how Jeffrey Epstein was able to orchestrate his criminal sex trafficking enterprise for decades without detection, we are taking another important step forward toward justice for survivors. As for comment on the lawsuit, BNY said in a statement, the claims in the lawsuit are meritless and we will vigorously defend against it. Bank of America's statement similarly remarked, we will vigorously defend ourselves in this matter. Well, good. Let's keep that energy up when it comes to discovery. Let's not talk about settlements, right? Let's just go through the process. You're innocent, right? So let's prove it. Let's have a trial and let's see what happens. My guess is we're not going to get that far. And the reason is they know the exposure they'd be facing if it ever got to discovery. So what they'll do is they'll dog walk it. They'll try and get it dismissed, and when that fails, they'll enter into settlement terms. What those terms will be, I have no idea. But like usual, we're going to be here every step of the way as it all unfolds. So until then, that's going to do it for this one. All of the information that goes with this episode can be found in the Description box.
- [19:09]
A
This week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne Butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each member price. Visit safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.