Epstein money trail: Lawsuits claim major banks enabled Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking finances [View all]

Source: Scripps News

Posted 3:00 PM, Dec 19, 2025 and last updated 1 hour and 49 minutes ago


Two class-action lawsuits against Bank of America and BNY Mellon could shed new light on how convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein allegedly financed his abuse network, and the role major financial institutions may have played in enabling it.

The lawsuits, filed by an anonymous Jane Doe plaintiff, accuse the banks of ignoring red flags, failing to report suspicious transactions and, in doing so, providing Epstein with the financial infrastructure needed to sustain his operation.

However, at a motions hearing Monday, a federal judge expressed skepticism, suggesting he may dismiss them before they go to trial unless the lawyers revise their cases with more specific details about their allegations.

The lawsuit against Bank of America alleges the company "knowingly provided the financial support and the veneer of institutional legitimacy" that allowed Epstein to operate under the "guise" of legitimate business activity. The complaint claims the bank failed to file required Suspicious Activity Reports, or SARs, despite signs that Epstein’s financial behavior warranted closer scrutiny. The lawsuit describes that failure as "wrongful and purposeful."

Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/crime/epstein-files/epstein-money-trail-lawsuits-claim-major-banks-enabled-jeffrey-epsteins-sex-trafficking-finances