Epstein Using His Wealth to Get ‘Last Word,’ Florida Victims Say
Two women allegedly abused by Epstein when they were underage claim he’s using wealth to drag out a lawsuit filed 11 years ago.
(Bloomberg) -- Two women who say they were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein when they were underage girls claim the money manager is using his wealth -- even from jail -- to try to drag out a lawsuit they filed 11 years ago to challenge his non-prosecution deal with the government.
The women -- identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 -- on Monday asked a Florida judge to deny a request by Epstein to file another document outlining his problems with their case. They say he had his chance when he submitted a response earlier this month.
“His motion provides another illustration of Epstein attempting to use his vast resources to obtain opportunities that other litigants never receive,” the women’s lawyers say. “It is also designed to thwart the victims’ efforts to obtain an expedited ruling on remedies in this case that has spanned more than eleven years.”
The judge in February ruled that federal prosecutors in Florida violated the law by entering into the non-prosecution deal with Epstein without informing victims. Since then, the women, Epstein and the government have been arguing over what remedies the women deserve. The sparring now is over who gets the last word before the judge rules.
The back-and-forth is not Epstein’s biggest problem. On Wednesday, he is due in federal court in Manhattan in a newly filed sex-trafficking case, and a judge may schedule the trial. Federal prosecutors in New York brought the case this month, saying the Florida deal doesn’t cover them.
In the civil lawsuit in Florida, the two victims gave the court their proposed remedies in May, including scrapping provisions of the deal that protects Epstein from prosecution for crimes he committed against them.
They’ve also proposed unspecified “monetary sanctions” against the government and requested a formal apology from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami for arranging the controversial deal and working to keep it secret from victims. (As part of the deal, Epstein pleaded guilty to state solicitation charges, for which he served 13 months in jail.)
The government said the remedies should include meeting with victims to explain the decision to enter into a deal, additional training for prosecutors in Florida, and a public court hearing for victims to make statements.
The victims, whom the government identified as such over a decade ago, are also slamming Epstein for saying he’d need another month to file the reply because it’s difficult to review drafts while he’s locked up in a Manhattan jail. The victims note that Epstein’s lawyers have been able to quickly draft other documents in the case, such as the appeal filed three days after Epstein’s bail was denied.
“Epstein’s vast legal team has recently shown its ability to use the tens of millions of dollars at Epstein’s fingertips to file legal pleadings rapidly ... when it serves his purposes,” the victims’ lawyers wrote in a flourish.
The case is Doe v. U.S., 9:08-cv-80736, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (West Palm Beach).
To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Joe Schneider
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.