DeSantis to approve releasing secret Jeffrey Epstein grand jury documents, challenges Biden to release federal files



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared that he would sign a bill into law that would release the secret grand jury material from the state's 2006 investigation into allegations of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual assaults of underage girls. DeSantis also challenged President Joe Biden to release the federal files relating to Epstein's alleged child sex crimes.

The bill, HB 117, was unanimously passed in the Florida Senate on Wednesday – six days after it passed with unanimous support in the House.

DeSantis proclaimed that he would sign the bill into law as soon as it hit the governor's desk.

"All files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity should be made public," DeSantis said on Wednesday night. "While the federal government continues to stonewall accountability, I’m glad the Legislature has taken action to release the grand jury material from the Florida state case. I will sign the bill into law."

Once signed, HB 117 goes into effect on July 1.

DeSantis also challenged Biden to release the federal files regarding the investigation into Epstein and the child sex crimes allegations.

The Republican governor of Florida asked, "Why won’t Biden release the federal government’s Epstein files?"

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Florida Politics said of the bill, "It amends Florida Statutes, Section 905.27 by expanding a 'furthering of justice' exception to grand jury secrecy to include 'furthering a public interest.'"

"But it comes with several conditions that Epstein’s case uniquely meets, including that the subject of the grand jury inquiry must be dead, the inquiry must have involved crimes or sexual activity with a minor, and that the testimony must have been previously disclosed under a court order," the outlet reported.

A court could limit what is shared with the public and could redact documents and testimony.

The bill's sponsor, Highland Beach Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, still has questions regarding the Epstein case.

“Last year, two (of Epstein’s) victims committed suicide. Many other victims are suffering in my county and around the world,” Gossett-Seidman said last week. “Epstein could have been stopped right here in Florida. Instead, he was released to dehumanize girls for another 13 years. We need to know why.”

In 2005, police in Palm Beach began investigating Epstein over allegations of sexual assaults of minors after the parent of a 14-year-old reported child sex abuse accusations to law enforcement.

In a June 2016 deposition, a Palm Beach Police detective said he had spoken to approximately 30 females who had told him about "performing massage and work at Epstein's home." The detective noted that a majority of the females that he spoke to were under the age of 18.

Detective Joseph Recarey said, "Epstein would either attempt to fondle the girls or touch the girls inappropriately, and at which point he would masturbate. And when he was done, he would get up and go wash off while the girls would get dressed and go back downstairs and get paid."

Some of the minors said they were paid to recruit their friends to massage Epstein.

Epstein's lawyers secured a "sweetheart deal" for the alleged financier in 2008. He pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.

Epstein served just 13 months in a private prison wing and had extensive work release.

The Associated Press reported, "During that time, he was taken to his office, where he claimed to be running his financial consulting business and his foundation. By the time of his release, he was spending six days a week and 18 hours a day at his office. He was required to wear an ankle monitor and hire two deputies to oversee his whereabouts from the lobby, but they were not in his office with him."

In July 2019, Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, and he was charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex.

The grand jury indictment alleged that "dozens" of underage girls were transported to Epstein's homes for the purpose of engaging in sexual encounters.

In August 2019, Epstein committed suicide by hanging in his Manhattan federal jail cell while he awaited trial, according to the New York City’s chief medical examiner.

Earlier this month, Epstein's brother shared photographs of the convicted pedophile's body. Mark Epstein is questioning the narrative that his brother killed himself in prison.

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'Say hi to Snow White': Jeffrey Epstein offered 'Disney princesses' to top JPMorgan exec, trafficking victims paid over $1 million from accounts at megabank, unsealed docs say



Newly unsealed court documents show Jeffrey Epstein had a very chummy relationship with a former top JPMorgan Chase executive and would email photos of young girls. The U.S. Virgin Islands' lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase also said that at least 20 trafficking victims of Epstein were paid more than $1 million through accounts at the megabank.

JPMorgan flags Jeffrey Epstein as a 'high-risk' client

In 2006, JPMorgan Chase flagged Epstein as a "high-risk" client after he was being investigated by the Palm Beach Police Department and the FBI over sex assault accusations by at least 40 victims, including 34 confirmed minors and a girl as young as 14.

According to the lawsuit, JPMorgan's Global Corporate Security Division flagged “several newspaper articles ... that detail the indictment of Jeffrey Epstein in Florida on felony charges of soliciting underage prostitutes."

In 2011, Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell was also flagged by the bank.

Court documents say, "Maxwell wanted to set up an account for her ‘personal recruitment consulting business.'"

A JPMorgan director with the bank's anti-money-laundering program reportedly asked in an email, "What does she mean by personal recruitment?? Are you sure this will have nothing to do with Jeffrey? If you want to proceed, I suggest that we flag this as a High-Risk Client."

Epstein reportedly used JPMorgan accounts to pay trafficking victims

Despite being flagged as a "high-risk" client, Epstein was reportedly able to pay trafficking victims through JPMorgan Chase accounts.

"These women were trafficked and abused during different intervals between at least 2003 and July 2019, when Epstein was arrested and jailed, and these women received payments, typically multiple payments, between 2003 and 2013 in excess of $1 million collectively," court documents stated. "Epstein also withdrew more than $775,000 in cash over that time frame from JPMorgan accounts, especially significant as Epstein was known to pay for 'massages,' or sexual encounters, in cash."

The lawsuit claims that Epstein sent money to the MC2 Modeling Company – a French modeling agency owned by Jean Luc Brunel. Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre claimed that Brunel procured women – including minors – for the disgraced financier.

According to court documents, "Financial information also reflects payments drawn from JP Morgan accounts of nearly $1.5 million to known recruiters, including to the MC2 modeling agency, and another $150,000 to a private investigative firm."

Brunel was arrested in December 2020 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris as he was attempting to board a flight to Dakar, Senegal.

Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz said Brunel was "suspected of having committed acts of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment on various minor or major victims and of having, in particular, organized the transport and accommodation of young girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein."

Brunel committed suicide in a French prison cell while awaiting trial in February 2022.

Epstein allegedly offered 'Disney princesses' to top JPMorgan exec

Epstein was also apparently close friends with a top JPMorgan executive. Jes Staley worked at JPMorgan Chase for more than 30 years until he left the financial institution in 2013. Staley was named the chief executive of the investment bank in 2009. Staley became the CEO of Barclays. However, he stepped down from the position in 2021 following a probe into his ties with Epstein.

In August 2009, Staley emailed the convicted pedophile to let him know that he'd be in London in a week. Epstein allegedly asked Staley if he needed anything, and the banking exec replied, "Yep."

Staley told Epstein in December 2009, "I realize the danger in sending this email. But it was great to be able, today, to give you, in New York City, a long heartfelt, hug."

Court docs alleged that Epstein "emailed Staley photos of young women in seductive poses."

Staley sailed his yacht to Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 2010, according to the lawsuit.

Staley allegedly said to Epstein, "Arrived at your harbor. Someday, we have to do this together."

In a memorandum filed on Wednesday, attorneys for the Virgin Islands said Staley’s JPMorgan email account contained messages about "women who they referred to by the names of Disney princesses that Epstein procured for Staley" and "discussions of sex with young women."

The lawsuit says Staley emailed Epstein in July 2010: "Maybe they’re tracking u? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White."

Epstein reportedly replied, "What character would you like next?"

Staley responded by naming the Disney princess movie "Beauty and the Beast."

Epstein allegedly replied, "Well one side is available."

The lawsuit claims, "Between 2008 and 2012, Staley exchanged approximately 1,200 emails with Epstein from his JP Morgan email account. These communications show a close personal relationship and ‘profound’ friendship between the two men and even suggest that Staley may have been involved in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation."

The lawsuit hints that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon knew about Epstein's involvement with the megabank.

"JP Morgan's banking relationship with Epstein was known at the highest levels of the bank," the lawsuit states. "For instance, an August 2008 internal email states, 'I would count Epstein's assets as a probable outflow for '08 ($120mm or so?) as I can't imagine it will stay (pending Dimon review).'"

JPMorgan calls Virgin Islands lawsuit 'meritless'

The documents were revealed in the U.S. Virgin Islands government lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase that was filed in December. The lawsuit accuses JPMorgan Chase of "complicity" in Epstein's crimes.

JPMorgan Chase called the lawsuit "meritless."

"Having sought and obtained more than $100 million from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate and businesses for damages caused by his sex-trafficking crimes, the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) now casts farther afield for deeper pockets," JPMorgan declared.

"USVI’s lawsuit is a masterclass in deflection that seeks to hold JPMC responsible for not sleuthing out Epstein’s crimes over a decade ago," attorneys for the bank said. "Yet USVI had access at the time to the same information, allegations, and rumors about Epstein on which it alleges JPMC should have acted. Indeed, as a law-enforcement agency, USVI had access to much more, along with the investigative advantage of physical proximity to Epstein’s crimes."

"To the contrary, during the same period, USVI granted Epstein and his businesses lucrative privileges and massive tax incentives," the bank proclaimed. "Nonetheless, USVI’s suit proceeds on the untenable theory that JPMC was a participant in an Epstein sex-trafficking venture and was somehow uniquely situated to bring it to a halt."

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