Latest / The Epstein Chronicles / JP Morgan Responds To The USVI's Motion To Strike Affirmative Defenses (Part 1) (9/26/26)

Transcript

JP Morgan Responds To The USVI's Motion To Strike Affirmative Defenses (Part 1) (9/26/26) · The Epstein Chronicles

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  Speaker 1: What's up everyone and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: In this episode we're getting right back to those Epstein
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  Speaker 1: court documents and this time we're going to take a
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  Speaker 1: look at JPMorgan Chase and their opposition to the USVI
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  Speaker 1: and their motion to strike the affirmative defenses. So this
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  Speaker 1: is the response to the request to strike the affirmative
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  Speaker 1: defenses that we were talking about recently. And remember, all
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  Speaker 1: of this sets a baseline for what the lawsuit that
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  Speaker 1: has been filed by the survivors against the USVI hopes
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  Speaker 1: to accomplish. Case number 22-CV-10904 Government of the United States, U.S.
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  Speaker 1: Virgin Islands vs. J.P. Morgan Bank JPMorgan Chase opposition to
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  Speaker 1: USVI's motion to strike affirmative defenses. Preliminary statement. Plaintiff government
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  Speaker 1: of the United States, Virgin Islands, is complicit in the
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  Speaker 1: crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein could have lived anywhere in
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  Speaker 1: the world. He chose USVI, and discovery obtained in this
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  Speaker 1: case reveals why. For two decades, Epstein maintained a quid
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  Speaker 1: pro quo relationship with the USVI's highest ranking officials. He
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  Speaker 1: gave them money, advice, influence, and favors. In exchange, they
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  Speaker 1: shielded and even rewarded him, granting him more than a
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  Speaker 1: redacted million in tax incentives. Redacted, looking the other way
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  Speaker 1: when he walked through USVI airports accompanied by girls and
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  Speaker 1: young women, and even facilitating ESL classes and visas that
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  Speaker 1: allowed Epstein to bring victims to his island. And in 2012,
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  Speaker 1: when the USVI sought to bring its sex offender laws
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  Speaker 1: into compliance with federal standards, USVI officials solicited Epstein's input
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  Speaker 1: into the changes he would like to see added to
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  Speaker 1: the bill. For two decades, and for long after JPMC
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  Speaker 1: exited Epstein as a client, the entity that most directly
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  Speaker 1: failed to protect public safety and most actively facilitated and
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  Speaker 1: benefited from Epstein's continued criminal activity was the plaintiff in
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  Speaker 1: this case, the USVI government itself. Though the USVI government
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  Speaker 1: hopes to shroud itself in exemptions, It is a plaintiff
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  Speaker 1: in civil litigation like any other. Tellingly, the USVI's motion
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  Speaker 1: seeks to strike only those specific defenses that threaten to
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  Speaker 1: expose its relationship with Epstein. The law affords defendants equitable
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  Speaker 1: defenses to protect them against precisely this sort of one-sided
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  Speaker 1: presentation of the evidence. This court should see the USVI's
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  Speaker 1: gambit for what it is and deny the motion. Background.
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  Speaker 1: Discovery in this case is ongoing but has established at
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  Speaker 1: least the following. In 2009, upon his release from prison
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  Speaker 1: for procuring a minor for prostitution, Epstein sought to arrange
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  Speaker 1: for supervision of his parole to be transferred from Florida
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  Speaker 1: to the USVI. He registered with the USVI as a
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  Speaker 1: sex offender in 2010 and maintained his primary residence there.
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  Speaker 1: This put him under the USVI law enforcement's direct jurisdiction
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  Speaker 1: and supervision. The decades-long quid pro quo between Epstein and
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  Speaker 1: the USVI government took three forms— First, high-ranking USVI officials
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  Speaker 1: spent years courting and gladly accepting Epstein's influence in the
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  Speaker 1: form of gifts, favors, and political donations. Second, in exchange,
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  Speaker 1: USVI granted Epstein preferential treatment in the form of more
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  Speaker 1: than redacted million in tax incentives, among other benefits. Third,
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  Speaker 1: and most troublingly, USVI protected Epstein, fostering the perfect conditions
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  Speaker 1: for Epstein's criminal conduct to continue undetected, rather than stopping
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  Speaker 1: him They helped him. A. Epstein courted USVI officials. Epstein's
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  Speaker 1: corrupt relationships with USVI began with gifts. Epstein courted USVI
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  Speaker 1: officials with money and favors, which USVI gladly accepted. Epstein
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  Speaker 1: funneled money in three ways. First, he funded and advised
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  Speaker 1: on the finances of the USVI government itself. For example,
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  Speaker 1: in February 2017, Epstein wrote to USVI First Lady Cecile
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  Speaker 1: de Jong, referencing her husband, USVI Governor John de Jong.
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  Speaker 1: The VI government is desperate for cash. Does John know
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  Speaker 1: of any assets that they might have that I can
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  Speaker 1: use as collateral, islands, etc.? The amount to be collateralized
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  Speaker 1: was $ 50 million, and First Lady de Jong replied that
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  Speaker 1: she would get a list of government properties. Epstein also
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  Speaker 1: gave money to fund the USVI Department of Planning's and
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  Speaker 1: natural resources, example two. For example, in 2017, he directed
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  Speaker 1: that $ 25, 000 check be cut from his company, Southern Trust
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  Speaker 1: Company Incorporated, to the DPNR. Not only did the DPNR
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  Speaker 1: take his money, Don Henry, the DPNR's commissioner, actively facilitated
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  Speaker 1: Epstein's apparent preference to donate to a school library, writing
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  Speaker 1: to him, if you prefer to donate to school libraries,
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  Speaker 1: I can connect you with the commissioner for education. Either way,
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  Speaker 1: the territory wins. In an email sent just a week prior,
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  Speaker 1: Epstein wrote to Commissioner Henry that he had given $ 25, 000
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  Speaker 1: to the home of the girls in St. Croix and
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  Speaker 1: asked where to direct another $ 25, 000. That same commissioner later
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  Speaker 1: stated that when Epstein was alive, we weren't really willing
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  Speaker 1: to hold him accountable. And Epstein, who was jailed for
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  Speaker 1: soliciting girls as young as 14 for prostitution, gave gifts
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  Speaker 1: to school pupils and financed events for young children. Similarly,
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  Speaker 1: in 2018, the now current USVI governor, Albert Bryan, facilitated
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  Speaker 1: donations by Epstein to USVI schools and Little Leagues. Example 6,
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  Speaker 1: Governor Bryan's suggestion for which schools Epstein should donate $ 50, 000.
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  Speaker 1: Albert Bryan asked that the $ 30, 000 go to the VI
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  Speaker 1: Little League. Epstein also transferred payments alongside others, redacted, such
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  Speaker 1: as redacted, see example 8, at redacted. Epstein made payments
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  Speaker 1: to a redacted despite knowing that they risked provoking suspicion.
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  Speaker 1: For example, in 2012, he wrote to First Lady de
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  Speaker 1: Jong regarding his potential funding of a training program for VIPD.
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  Speaker 1: I always would like to support these things. In the past,
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  Speaker 1: it was looked upon with suspicion. She responds, suspicion locally.
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  Speaker 1: My thought was that this would be okay because it
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  Speaker 1: was specifically homicide training. To avoid leaving a written record,
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  Speaker 1: he responds curtly, face to face. Second, Epstein gave money
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  Speaker 1: to USVI politicians. For example, Epstein supported Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett,
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  Speaker 1: who successfully ran to be the USVI's delegate to Congress.
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  Speaker 1: After working for the USVI Economic Development Authority, the USVI
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  Speaker 1: agency responsible for rewarding Epstein his massive tax benefits... and
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  Speaker 1: one of the private law firms that represented Epstein in
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  Speaker 1: his USVI business affairs. Epstein personally gave the maximum amount
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  Speaker 1: to Ms. Plaskett's campaign over multiple election cycles. He asked
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  Speaker 1: that his contributions be kept secret, and he directed others
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  Speaker 1: to contribute as well. The reason? We would have a
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  Speaker 1: friend in Stacey. In total, Epstein and his employees donated
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  Speaker 1: over $ 30, 000 across three of Ms. Plaskett's congressional races. You know,
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  Speaker 1: Stacey Plaskett Sitting Congresswoman right now for the Democrats that
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  Speaker 1: nobody wants to talk about? Yeah, that woman. Third, Epstein
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  Speaker 1: funneled money via his business entities. See example 15. First,
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  Speaker 1: Lady Dijon, noting that USVI Governor Kenneth Mapp and USVI
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  Speaker 1: Senator Celestino White wished to see Epstein and asking Epstein
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  Speaker 1: from which entity he wished to donate to the St.
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  Speaker 1: Croix Democratic Party to which Epstein replied personal. Confirming a $ 15, 000
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  Speaker 1: donation from Southern Trust, for the benefit of Stacey Plaskett.
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  Speaker 1: And Epstein contributed through Super PACs and like entities that
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  Speaker 1: fall under different public reporting requirements. Example 16, prepare a
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  Speaker 1: check for Governor Mapp's Super PAC for 75K, confirming intent
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  Speaker 1: to donate 10 Gs to Mapp Potter inaugural committee and
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  Speaker 1: that it should come from the Southern Trust. Discussing a $ 25, 000
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  Speaker 1: private gift to current Governor Bryan's inaugural committee. Epstein's primary
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  Speaker 1: conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI government
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  Speaker 1: was First Lady de Jong. Epstein has contributed to the
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  Speaker 1: political campaigns of various senatorial, gubernatorial, and congressional candidates within
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  Speaker 1: the local Democratic Party. Unequivocally, a political culture was fostered
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  Speaker 1: within the local Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands that
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  Speaker 1: allowed Epstein to remain unchecked in exchange for his sponsorship
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  Speaker 1: and financial contributions. For example, First Lady DeJong drove donations
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  Speaker 1: from Epstein to support her husband and allies. Example 20,
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  Speaker 1: reflecting Epstein's $ 15, 000 donation to Governor DeJong's Special Events Fund,
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  Speaker 1: Epstein paying USVI Senator Celestino White 10 Gs to consult
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  Speaker 1: on changing the name of one of Epstein's islands, and
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  Speaker 1: the relationship went deeper. Despite her public role and official duties,
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  Speaker 1: First Lady DeJong managed Epstein's USVI-based companies, from January 2007
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  Speaker 1: to January 2015, receiving from Epstein a salary, bonuses, and
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  Speaker 1: other benefits including $ 200, 000 in 2007 alone. Epstein paid her
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  Speaker 1: children's tuition, the children of sitting Governor DeJong, including when
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  Speaker 1: he was sitting USVI governor, and he also offered to
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  Speaker 1: fund Governor DeJong's defense in the governor's criminal case. Example 27,
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  Speaker 1: Epstein writes, I will play any role in this that
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  Speaker 1: you guys like. I can lend John the money so
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  Speaker 1: he immediately has it. I would gladly be on the phone,
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  Speaker 1: anonymous with John, Quinn, and the prosecutor offering suggestions. $ 25
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  Speaker 1: a year for 20 years. $ 490, 000 now with an income
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  Speaker 1: tax credit for the full amount. $ 250, 000 now and $ 250, 000
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  Speaker 1: in 15 years, etc. Lest there be doubt that Epstein's
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  Speaker 1: goal was to gain influence. First Lady de Jong explicitly
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  Speaker 1: advised Epstein on how to buy control of the USVI
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  Speaker 1: political class. Example 28. Email from First Lady de Jong
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  Speaker 1: to Epstein outlining the VI political landscape. and advising him
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  Speaker 1: to give wide but nominal support in the primary to
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  Speaker 1: solidify relationships, then strongly support the winner of the primary.
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  Speaker 1: She told him how to vote and whom to support.
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  Speaker 1: Example 29, email from Epstein asking First Lady DeJong, do
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  Speaker 1: you have a list of who I should vote for?
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  Speaker 1: Example 30, Epstein asking who we backed for the USVI
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  Speaker 1: governor's race. And at First Lady DeJong's suggestion, Epstein explored
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  Speaker 1: paying monthly retainers to USVI politicians to ensure their loyalty
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  Speaker 1: and access. First Lady de Jong suggested Epstein consider putting
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  Speaker 1: Celestino White on some sort of monthly retainer and that
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  Speaker 1: this will get you loyalty and access. All right, we're
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  Speaker 1: going to wrap up the first episode right there. And
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  Speaker 1: in the next episode, we're going to pick up with B.
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  Speaker 1: USVI paid returns on Epstein's investments. All of the information
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  Speaker 1: that goes with this episode can be found in the
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  Speaker 1: description box.