The top prosecutor for the U.S. Virgin Islands was fired days after she accused JPMorgan Chase in a federal lawsuit of facilitating Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking activities.
Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan fired Attorney General Denise George on Saturday, according to the Virgin Islands Consortium.
“I relieved Denise George of her duties as attorney general this weekend,” Mr. Bryan wrote in a statement acquired by Law & Crime. “I thank her for her service to the people of the territory during the past four years as attorney general and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
The governor didn’t share with the network why he fired Ms. George. But the Consortium reported that the prosecutor was let go because she didn’t consult with Mr. Bryan before taking legal action against JPMorgan.
Ms. George’s lawsuit claimed that the largest bank in the U.S. played a part in Epstein’s abuse of women and girls. The company’s senior leadership overlooked Epstein’s scheme because of the high-profile clients that could be directed to the bank, according to the legal filings.
The lawsuit claimed that JPMorgan’s anti-money laundering protocols should have reported Epstein’s illegal activity to the authorities.
“JPMorgan knowingly, negligently and unlawfully provided and pulled the levers through which recruiters and victims were paid and was indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also argued that “human trafficking was the principal business of the accounts Epstein maintained at JPMorgan.”
The bank is accused of violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Virgin Islands Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Epstein was a client of JPMorgan Chase from 2000 to 2013. The convicted sex offender killed himself in 2019 in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
An unnamed source told the Guardian that JPMorgan “ended its relationship with Epstein long before his ongoing misconduct became known.”
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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