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Prosecutors investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with JPMorgan bank, and whether the bank’s continuing relationship with Epstein enabled his abuse, are seeking to subpoena Elon Musk, it emerged on Monday.
The legal team in the U.S. Virgin Islands want to request from Musk any documentation related to Epstein and potential efforts by Epstein to recruit Musk as a client of JPMorgan bank.
They have sought similar documentation from Google co-founder Larry Page, who they believe Epstein also sought to sign up as a client of JPMorgan.
The U.S. Virgin Islands is seeking unspecified damages from the largest U.S. bank for Epstein’s alleged abuse of young girls and women on Little St. James, a private island he owned in the territory.
The request to seek an alternative means of serving the subpoena was issued on Monday, with prosecutors saying they had tried and failed since April to serve Musk with the paperwork in person. Musk was in Paris on Monday, meeting the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
The prosecutors are now seeking permission to use a different way of subpoenaing him – either through his lawyers, or via mail.
Elon Musk is seen on Monday in Paris, meeting the French finance minister (right), Bruno Lemaire. Prosecutors in the U.S. Virgin Islands have been attempting to serve Musk with legal papers connected to their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities since April. They want to know whether Musk was ever targeted by Epstein for recruitment as a client of JPMorgan
They want to know whether Epstein ‘may have referred or attempted to refer’ Musk as a client for the bank.
The prosecutors are seeking documentation from January 1, 2002 onwards.
They want any paperwork relating to Epstein’s role in Musk’s finances, if any.
They also want documents detailing any meetings or communications between Musk and JPMorgan.
‘The Government contacted Mr Musk’s counsel via email to ask if he would be authorized to accept service on Mr Musk’s behalf in this matter but did not receive a response confirming or denying his authority,’ the filing said.
The Virgin Islands asked Judge Jed Rakoff to authorize the government to serve Musk with the subpoena through so-called alternative service, which can includes taking out an advertisement alerting him to legal the demand for documents.
Epstein, 66, died in a Manhattan jail in August 2019, awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
His accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced in June 2022.
The attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he had a home on a private island, is overseeing distribution of funds from a compensation scheme set up to help his dozens of victims.
Denise George has requested that Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan CEO, testify about his bank’s dealings with Epstein, and sources close to the enquiry confirmed to CNN on that Dimon will testify on May 26 and 27.
George is also seeking testimony from Larry Page, who co-founded Google.
Epstein reportedly sought to recruit Page as a client of JPMorgan.
Jamie Dimon (left) has agreed to testify about Epstein, while Larry Page (right) is being sought for questioning
Jeffrey Epstein died in August 2019 while awaiting trial. He was a client of JPMorgan’s until 2013 – despite his 2008 guilty plea for sex with a minor
The subpoena, obtained by The Daily Beast, also requests correspondence between Page and Epstein, and Page and JPMorgan; documents showing fees Page paid to Epstein or JPMorgan; and records touching on ‘Epstein’s involvement in human trafficking and/or his procurement of girls or women for commercial sex.’
George earlier this month sought permission to subpoena Page by ‘alternative service’ – usually mail, or via a public notice – because they had spent the last month unsuccessfully trying to track him down and subpoena him in person. George said they had hired private investigators, but still couldn’t find him.
In 2021 the reclusive billionaire was said to be living off-the-grid in Fiji; some reports said he had since moved to New Zealand.
Last month, Page’s Google co-founder Sergey Brin was subpoenaed by George, along with billionaires Mortimer Zuckerman and Thomas Pritzker.
Dimon has for several years faced questions about his bank’s dealings with Epstein.
Last month, a complaint filed in New York alleged that JPMorgan Chase executives were aware of numerous sex abuse and trafficking allegations against Epstein, and overlooked them for years.
Epstein was investigated over his sexual abuse of children in 2005, by prosecutors in Miami.
Epstein owned this private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The territory’s attorney general is seeking to unravel his financial web
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a felony charge of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison; he served 13, under extremely lenient conditions.
JPMorgan did not severe ties with Epstein for five more years, until 2013.
‘JPMorgan’s relationship with Epstein in allowing his sex-trafficking venture to access large sums of cash each year went far beyond a normal (and lawful) banking relationship,’ the filing said.
The complaint detailed internal warnings that the financier ‘should go,’ that there was ‘lots of smoke. Lots of questions,’ and that anti-money laundering officials asked that the bank ‘exit this relationship.’
The complaint added an additional count alleging that JPMorgan obstructed federal law enforcement and prosecuting agencies that were pursuing Epstein.
Dimon, asked last month whether his bank should have cut off Epstein sooner, told CNN: ‘Hindsight is a fabulous gift.’
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