Epstein Victims Sue FBI for Cover-Up, Demand Accountability, US

A dozen anonymous Jeffrey Epstein victims have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), accusing the agency of covering up and enabling the late financier’s sex trafficking operations. The women allege that the FBI’s failure to investigate allegations against Epstein allowed him to continue his criminal activities for over two decades. According to the lawsuit, the FBI received tips about Epstein’s illegal actions as early as 1996 but did not interview the alleged victims or inform other law enforcement agencies. It wasn’t until 2006 that the bureau initiated an investigation into Epstein, which concluded just two years later. The closure of the investigation coincided with Epstein pleading guilty to a prostitution charge in Florida and serving an 18-month prison sentence. The victims claim that the FBI ignored subsequent tips about Epstein’s involvement in sex trafficking. Epstein was arrested in 2019 but died in custody shortly afterward. The women seek monetary damages from the federal government. Neither the United States Department of Justice nor the FBI has commented on the lawsuit. In a related development, the victims previously filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, accusing the banking institutions of facilitating Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. The banks agreed to pay the victims $500 million to settle the lawsuit.