Reuters revealed that a dozen victims of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the FBI of covering up its failure to investigate the late financier, enabling his sex trafficking to continue for more than 20 years.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 08: US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman announces charges against Jeffery Epstein on July 8, 2019 in New York City. Epstein will be charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors.
The victims, using Jane Doe pseudonyms, said the FBI received credible tips as early as 1996 that Epstein trafficked young women and girls, yet failed to interview victims or share what it knew with federal and local law enforcement.
The victims noted that the FBI eventually ordered a probe in 2006 but ended it two years later after Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida prostitution charge.
Law enforcement continued ignoring tips until his July 2019 arrest.
Epstein allegedly committed suicide a month later.
What Does The Lawsuit Entail?
"As a direct and proximate cause of the FBI's negligence, plaintiffs would not have been continued to be sex trafficked, abused, raped, tortured, and threatened," the complaint said.
"Jane Does 1-12 bring this lawsuit to get to the bottom -- once and for all -- of the FBI's role in Epstein's criminal sex trafficking ring," it added.
The complaint, filed on Wednesday in a federal court in Manhattan, seeks damages from the only defendant, the United States government.
The complaint cited a Dec. 5, 2023, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where FBI Director Christopher Wray was asked why the FBI didn't do more. He promised to "get with my team and figure out if there is more information we can provide."
The number of Jeffrey Epstein victims is said to be well over 100.
Victims previously reached $500 million in settlements before deducting legal fees and costs, with a program funded by Epstein's estate and two of Epstein's banks, JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.
According to NBC News, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $290 million to settle the suit.
"The parties believe this settlement is in the best interests of all parties, especially the survivors who were the victims of Epstein's terrible abuse," lawyers for JP Morgan Chase and the victims', said.
It remains unclear whether the twelve plaintiffs received compensation from those settlements.
The case is Doe 1 et al v United States, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-01071.
