In a recently revealed email, Cecile René Galiber, wife of former U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John Percy de Jongh Jr., expressed her concerns to her employer, Jeffrey Epstein, regarding a campaign donation made to Kenneth Mapp’s bid for Governor, CrimeSpace is first to report. The e-mail was sent while her husband was in office in an apparent effort to thwart negative publicity against her family.
The email, dated November 10, 2014, sheds light on Cecile’s worries about potential negative advertisements targeting her husband.
Cecile de Jongh’s email to Jeffrey Epstein reads, “The Mapp campaign is going to take the money that you gave to attack John. [We] are against this. Can we stop payment on the check to send a message?”
The de Jongh family had been entangled in a web of allegations related to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities, according to the Washington Post. According to JPMorgan Chase, Cecile de Jongh played a pivotal role as Epstein’s “primary conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI government.”
JPMorgan Chase’s court filing further asserted that Epstein had maintained a quid pro quo relationship with the highest-ranking officials of the U.S. Virgin Islands for over two decades. The disgraced financier allegedly provided money, advice, influence, and favors, while the officials shielded and even rewarded him.
The bank’s allegations came to light as part of its defense in a civil suit brought against it by the U.S. Virgin Islands in the previous year. The lawsuit aimed to hold JPMorgan Chase accountable for its alleged role in facilitating Epstein’s trafficking enterprise.
In response to the allegations against Cecile de Jongh, JPMorgan Chase labeled them as an attempt to shift blame away from the bank. A spokesperson for the islands’ attorney general emphasized the bank’s legal responsibility to report evidence of Epstein’s human trafficking and criticized its failure to do so.
Cecile de Jongh, thus far, has not provided any comment regarding the recently surfaced email or the allegations made by JPMorgan Chase.
The controversy surrounding Cecile de Jongh’s email raises further questions about the connection between Jeffrey Epstein, the de Jongh family, and the alleged influence and financial activities within the U.S. Virgin Islands government.
JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay approximately $290 million to settle the class action lawsuit on Jun. 12. The settlement resolves a significant portion of the litigation surrounding the bank’s relationship with Epstein.
JPMorgan Chase had faced allegations that it ignored internal warnings and overlooked red flags concerning Epstein due to his status as a valuable client.
Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 1998 to 2013 and continued his association with the bank even after being arrested in 2006 on charges related to prostitution and pleading guilty in 2008.
The settlement would potentially resolve claims by over 100 victims, led by a former ballet dancer known as Jane Doe 1, who alleged that Epstein abused them when they were young women and teenage girls, Reuters reported.
JPMorgan Chase’s settlement comes after Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $75 million to settle a similar lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims. The settlements highlight the role financial institutions can play in identifying and preventing sex trafficking.
The settlement amount of $290 million was confirmed by David Boies, a lawyer representing Epstein’s victims. JPMorgan Chase did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The settlement still requires approval from U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan.
