Mega Edition: Judge Rakoff Makes A Ruling In The Survivors Suit Against USVI (Part 3-4) (1/23/26)

Judge Jed Rakoff approved a $290 million settlement between JPMorgan Chase and Jeffrey Epstein's victims, emphasizing that the case sent a strong message to the financial industry about the responsibilities of banking institutions. The settlement, which did not require JPMorgan to admit liability, resolved claims that the bank ignored red flags to maintain Epstein as a client, benefiting from his illegal activities from 1998 to 2013.The approval came after a last-minute challenge from 16 state attorneys general who objected to a clause in the settlement that prevented future claims by any "sovereign or government" on behalf of the victims. They argued that this could hinder future cases against sex trafficking perpetrators. However, Rakoff found the settlement terms clear and justified, dismissing the objections.The settlement also included a provision for the lawyers to receive 30% of the settlement amount in fees, which the judge deemed fair given the significant recovery for the plaintiffs. This settlement follows a similar case where Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $75 million to settle claims related to Epstein without admitting wrongdoing.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.130.0_1.pdf (courtlistener.com)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

24 Tammi 32min

Judge Jed Rakoff approved a $290 million settlement between JPMorgan Chase and Jeffrey Epstein's victims, emphasizing that the case sent a strong message to the financial industry about the responsibilities of banking institutions. The settlement, which did not require JPMorgan to admit liability, resolved claims that the bank ignored red flags to maintain Epstein as a client, benefiting from his illegal activities from 1998 to 2013.The approval came after a last-minute challenge from 16 state attorneys general who objected to a clause in the settlement that prevented future claims by any "sovereign or government" on behalf of the victims. They argued that this could hinder future cases against sex trafficking perpetrators. However, Rakoff found the settlement terms clear and justified, dismissing the objections.The settlement also included a provision for the lawyers to receive 30% of the settlement amount in fees, which the judge deemed fair given the significant recovery for the plaintiffs. This settlement follows a similar case where Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $75 million to settle claims related to Epstein without admitting wrongdoing.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.130.0_1.pdf (courtlistener.com)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

24 Tammi 24min

Ken Starr’s involvement on Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team marked a decisive turning point in how Epstein was treated by the justice system. As a former U.S. Solicitor General and a figure deeply embedded in elite legal and political circles, Ken Starr brought instant credibility and institutional weight to Epstein’s defense. His presence signaled to prosecutors that Epstein was not just another criminal defendant but someone backed by establishment power capable of applying pressure at the highest levels. Starr’s role was not merely symbolic. He was instrumental in shaping the posture of Epstein’s legal strategy, helping frame Epstein as a privileged offender deserving extraordinary consideration rather than a serial abuser running a trafficking operation. That framing mattered, because it subtly shifted negotiations away from accountability and toward accommodation.By lending his reputation to Epstein, Starr helped tilt the balance in negotiations with federal prosecutors in Epstein’s favor, culminating in outcomes that defied normal prosecutorial standards. The now-infamous non-prosecution agreement did not emerge in a vacuum. It was the product of aggressive lawyering by figures like Starr who understood how to exploit discretion, personal relationships, and institutional risk aversion inside the Justice Department. With Starr involved, the case ceased to be about victims and evidence and became a political and reputational problem the government wanted to make disappear. His participation helped normalize a result that insulated Epstein from federal charges, protected unnamed co-conspirators, and ensured Epstein faced minimal consequences. In doing so, Starr did not just defend a client. He helped demonstrate how elite legal power can bend the justice system until it breaks in favor of the well-connected.to contacat me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

24 Tammi 17min

In December 2010, Prince Andrew was photographed taking a casual stroll through New York’s Central Park alongside Jeffrey Epstein—just days after Epstein had completed a 13-month jail sentence for soliciting sex from a minor. The image, captured by a paparazzo and later published globally, showed the Duke of York walking shoulder-to-shoulder with a convicted sex offender, deep in conversation. The timing of the meeting and the relaxed nature of their interaction sent shockwaves through Buckingham Palace and ignited a public firestorm, as it contradicted any attempt to downplay the depth of Andrew’s relationship with Epstein. Far from a mere social encounter, this post-prison rendezvous strongly implied that Andrew maintained ties with Epstein even after his crimes were widely known.The photograph became a defining symbol of the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew, undercutting any narrative that he had distanced himself from Epstein after the latter’s conviction. The optics were damning: a senior member of the British royal family publicly associating with a man now globally recognized as a serial predator. What made it even more damaging was that the meeting wasn’t a brief, unavoidable encounter—it reportedly took place over several days, during a stay at Epstein’s $77 million Manhattan townhouse. That visit, combined with the Central Park stroll, cemented suspicions that Andrew either underestimated the gravity of Epstein’s crimes or simply didn’t care, both of which would later contribute to his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview and eventual withdrawal from royal duties.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/jeffrey-epstein-wanted-park-pic-28051494Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

24 Tammi 14min

Dr. Melanie Walker is a trained neurosurgeon who, in the late 1990s, served as a science advisor to Jeffrey Epstein. She reportedly met Epstein in the early 1990s and, in 1998, while completing post-doctoral work at Caltech, accepted that role—helping him identify and connect with academics whose work he might fund, thus facilitating his access to elite intellectual circles. Despite her advisory connection, Walker has not been accused of any wrongdoing or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities.In the 2000s, Walker transitioned into philanthropy and global development. She held significant roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—including deputy director of special initiatives—and was later placed at the World Bank under a secondment arrangement, ultimately becoming Senior Adviser to the President and Director of the Delivery Unit. She also serves in leadership roles within health and development policy spheres, such as co‑chairing the World Economic Forum’s Future Council on neuro-technology and brain science.To contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/worldnews/10397210/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-neurosurgeon-ranch/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

24 Tammi 14min

Prince Andrew’s latest attempt at image rehabilitation was widely seen as one of his most brazen moves yet: quietly positioning his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as emotional intermediaries to plead his case to King Charles III. Rather than confront the consequences of his own conduct directly, Andrew reportedly leaned on familial sympathy, allowing his daughters to emphasize his supposed remorse, isolation, and mistreatment behind palace doors. The maneuver was viewed by many as a calculated effort to soften the King’s resolve by reframing Andrew not as a disgraced royal linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but as a wounded father figure deserving of compassion. Critics argue this was not an act of humility, but a tactical deflection that shifted the emotional burden onto two women who had no role in their father’s scandals.The move was especially galling because it placed Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in the uncomfortable position of advocating for a man whose reputation has severely damaged the monarchy itself. Observers saw it as another example of Andrew’s refusal to accept accountability, choosing instead to hide behind his children while attempting to claw back relevance, security, and royal privilege. To critics, it underscored a pattern that has followed Andrew for years: when faced with consequences, he seeks protection through proximity to power and emotional leverage rather than genuine responsibility. The episode only reinforced the perception that Andrew remains more concerned with salvaging his status than acknowledging the harm his actions and associations have caused.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

23 Tammi 13min

In the 2017 video deposition of Courtney E. Wild, taken as part of the civil case Epstein v. Rothstein in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Wild testified under oath about her personal background, criminal history, and relevant circumstances before the court began substantive questions. The early portion of the deposition focuses on Wild’s identity and personal history, including her marriage, family situation, and her own past convictions, including a drug trafficking conviction for which she was serving a sentence at the Gadsden Correctional Facility in Florida at the time of the deposition. Wild was sworn in and answered basic biographical questions about her life prior to moving into the heart of the civil litigation against Epstein’s representatives and others, establishing her presence and credibility as a witness in the case’s factual recordto contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:1027.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

23 Tammi 13min