Overview
Denise George served as Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2019 to 2023. During her tenure, she initiated and prosecuted the most consequential civil litigation arising from the Epstein case, securing settlements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for the USVI government and, through advocacy, for victims.
The Epstein Estate Litigation
Shortly after Epstein’s death in 2019, George’s office began investigating his USVI operations, focusing on Southern Trust Company and his use of the EDC tax program. The investigation produced a civil lawsuit alleging that Epstein had fraudulently obtained EDC tax benefits over roughly 15 years, trafficked women on USVI property, and engaged in a pattern of criminal conduct that the USVI government was entitled to seek remedies for.
The estate settled that litigation for approximately $105 million.
The JPMorgan Lawsuit
George’s most significant action was the USVI government’s lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, filed in 2022. This lawsuit alleged that JPMorgan knowingly provided financial services to Epstein’s trafficking network — processing payments, facilitating withdrawals, and maintaining the relationship despite awareness of his conduct.
The case disclosed thousands of internal JPMorgan emails, including correspondence involving Jes Staley. It settled in 2023 for $290 million — the largest settlement in the overall Epstein accountability architecture.
Firing and Aftermath
George was fired by USVI Governor Albert Bryan in January 2023, shortly after announcing a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank. The timing — she was dismissed just after filing another major Epstein-related action — drew significant scrutiny and criticism from victim advocates and the press.
The Governor’s office cited personnel and management reasons. George disputed this characterization. The circumstances of her dismissal were widely perceived as potentially connected to her aggressive pursuit of Epstein-related litigation, though no evidence of improper pressure has been proven.
Legacy
Regardless of the disputed circumstances of her departure, George’s legal work produced the most tangible financial accountability outcomes for the USVI government and set legal precedents for institutional liability in trafficking cases. The JPMorgan settlement, in particular, established that financial institutions can face civil liability for knowingly enabling trafficking through financial services.
Sources
USVI government civil filings, news coverage of George’s firing, settlement announcements, and advocacy organization documentation of the JPMorgan litigation.