US Virgin Islands Unable To Locate Elon Musk to Serve Subpoena on Jeffrey Epstein Lawsuit
The US Virgin Islands government, in its legal battle against JPMorgan Chase regarding businessman Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking activities, has sought to subpoena Elon Musk for documents, according to AP.
Musk has never been publicly accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
However, there have been unfounded speculations, partly fueled by Epstein himself, suggesting a connection between Epstein and Musk involving business advice.
Musk's representatives have vehemently denied these claims. Nonetheless, the US Virgin Islands government, in a recent court filing, stated that Epstein may have offered or attempted to refer Musk to JPMorgan as a potential customer.
The Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan last year, alleging that the bank played a crucial role in facilitating and concealing Epstein's trafficking enterprise by allowing his recruiters to pay victims.
Currently, JPMorgan's legal representatives have yet to respond promptly to requests for comment.
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US Virgin Island Also Sued JPMorgan Chase and Others
JPMorgan Chase faced a lawsuit filed by the US Virgin Islands in 2022, which alleged that the banking giant had benefitted from Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operations while failing to report suspicious transactions, CNN reports.
The complaint, submitted by US Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George, asserted that JPMorgan had knowingly violated federal regulations about accounts associated with Epstein over more than a decade.
The lawsuit pointed out the bank's belated attempts to comply with the law after Epstein's arrest on federal sex trafficking charges and subsequent death. According to the complaint, it was evident that JPMorgan was aware of its noncompliance during this period.
The lawsuit claimed that the primary purpose of the accounts maintained by Epstein at JPMorgan was to engage in human trafficking, further implicating the bank in his illicit activities.
In two separate legal proceedings involving JPMorgan Chase and Epstein, CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled to be deposed on May 26 and May 27, indicating the significance of his role in the case.
Recently, court documents revealed that the US Virgin Islands had issued a subpoena to Larry Page, co-founder of Google, although serving him has also encountered difficulties.
Subpoenas were also sent to Sergey Brin, another co-founder of Google; Thomas Pritzker, chairman of Hyatt Hotels; Mort Zuckerman, owner of US News & World Report; and Michael Ovitz, a prominent executive in the entertainment industry.
Elon Musk's History with JPMorgan Chase
The nature of the relationship between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein remains unclear. Speculation arose in 2019 suggesting that Epstein may have been advising Musk, particularly about an incident where Musk encountered legal issues for indicating that he had secured funding to take Tesla private.
Both Musk and Tesla vehemently denied these rumors, said Reuters.
A spokesperson for Musk stated unequivocally, "It is incorrect to say that Epstein ever advised Elon on anything." This statement sought to refute any association between the two individuals.
Elon Musk is now the second notable tech entrepreneur to become entangled in a legal dispute in the US Virgin Islands, following Larry Page's involvement in a separate case.
Elon Musk provided testimony in a shareholder lawsuit against Tesla earlier this year. During the proceedings, he mentioned that JPMorgan had been Tesla's primary commercial banking partner until the bank ceased support for Tesla's vehicle leasing line, leading to strained relations between the two entities.
Tesla shareholders alleged that Musk misled them and caused substantial financial losses through a tweet in 2018 where he claimed to have secured financing to privatize the company. However, Musk was ultimately found not guilty by a jury.
Conversely, JPMorgan contended that Musk's "funding secured" tweet led to the repricing of Tesla stock warrants, prompting the bank to sue Tesla for $162 million in 2021. In response, Tesla filed its lawsuit against the bank, asserting that JPMorgan's motivations were driven by financial gain.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Google founder Sergey Brin and three others to get subpoenas in JPMorgan Epstein lawsuit - From CNBC Television
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