US Virgin Islands subpoenas Elon Musk as part of lawsuit into Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring
The US Virgin Islands has subpoenaed Elon Musk
By Ramishah Maruf, CNN
The US Virgin Islands has subpoenaed Elon Musk, requesting documents from the billionaire for the government’s lawsuit alleging JPMorgan Chase benefited financially from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
The petition to serve the subpoena does not implicate Musk in any wrongdoing and merely indicates that he was a high-net-worth individual whom Epstein may have introduced to JPMorgan Chase.
The court filing from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York was posted Monday. The Virgin Islands’ government issued the subpoena on April 28 but had difficulty obtaining an address for Musk to locate and serve him, even hiring an investigative firm.
“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 subpoena is requesting all communications between Musk and JPMorgan regarding Epstein or any role the disgraced financier played in the Tesla CEO’s financial management. It also requested any documents regarding fees paid to Epstein or JPMorgan, or any documents regarding Epstein’s sex trafficking ring.
Epstein was found dead while being detained in 2019. A medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.
When he died, Epstein was awaiting trial on federal charges accusing him of operating a sex trafficking ring from 2002 to 2005 at his Manhattan mansion and his Palm Beach estate, and allegedly paying girls as young as 14 for sex.
In 2022, the US Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, alleging the Wall Street giant benefited financially from Epstein’s sex trafficking operation and failed in its duty to report suspicious financial activity.
“Over more than a decade, JPMorgan clearly knew it was not complying with federal regulations in regard to Epstein-related accounts as evidenced by its too-little too-late efforts after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges and shortly after his death, when JPMorgan (JPM) belatedly complied with federal law,” states the complaint filed by US Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George.
The lawsuit also claimed “human trafficking was the principal business of the accounts Epstein maintained at JPMorgan.”
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled to be deposed May 26 and 27 in two civil cases regarding his bank’s relationship with Epstein.
USVI subpoenaed Google co-founder Larry Page but was facing difficulty serving him as well, a court filing in early May said. Google’s other co-founder, Sergey Brin, as well as Hyatt Hotels chair Thomas Pritzker; real estate tycoon and U.S. News & World Report owner Mort Zuckerman; and entertainment executive Michael Ovitz were issued subpoenas, the Wall Street Journal reported.
CNN has reached out to JPMorgan, Tesla and Twitter for comment.
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CNN’s Lauren del Valle and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
