Handout via Reuters
A Manhattan federal judge has ruled that lawsuits against JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank—which accuse the financial giants of benefiting from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring—can move forward.
Two victims of Epstein sued the banks last year under the pseudonym Jane Doe, arguing the financial institutions kept Epstein as a client, and enabled his abuse of young women, because he generated millions for their businesses. Soon after, the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands filed a similar complaint against JPMorgan.
On Monday, in a blow to the investment banks, U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that he would only dismiss parts of the trio of related lawsuits. He terminated the victims’ claims alleging the banks participated in, and aided and abetted, Epstein’s trafficking venture. He also dismissed counts alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress.