Bank of America Settles Lawsuit by Jeffrey Epstein Victims

The proposed class action accused the bank of ignoring suspicious financial transactions related to Epstein.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 3:34pm

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Bank of America has settled a civil lawsuit brought by women who accused the bank of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The settlement requires approval from a Manhattan-based US District Judge. The terms of the settlement were not immediately clear, but the proposed class action had accused the nation's second-largest bank of ignoring suspicious financial transactions related to Epstein despite having information about his crimes.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking network and the role that financial institutions may have played in enabling his criminal activities. It raises questions about corporate responsibility and the duty of banks to report suspicious transactions, even when dealing with high-profile clients.

The details

The proposed class action, filed in October by a woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe, accused Bank of America of ignoring suspicious financial transactions related to Epstein because it valued profit over protecting victims. The bank had argued that Doe's claims were "threadbare and meritless," stating that it merely provided routine services to people who at the time had no known links to Epstein. However, the judge ruled in January that the bank must face Doe's claims that it knowingly benefited from Epstein's sex trafficking and obstructed enforcement of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

  • The proposed class action was filed in October.
  • The judge ruled in January that Bank of America must face the claims.
  • Billionaire Leon Black, who had paid Epstein $158 million, was scheduled to be questioned under oath by lawyers on March 26.
  • The deposition is not expected to go forward due to the settlement.
  • A scheduled May 11 trial will also not take place if the judge approves the settlement.

The players

Bank of America

The nation's second-largest bank, which has settled a civil lawsuit brought by women who accused the bank of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein.

Jane Doe

A woman using a pseudonym who filed the proposed class action lawsuit against Bank of America, accusing the bank of ignoring suspicious financial transactions related to Epstein.

Jed Rakoff

The Manhattan-based US District Judge who will consider approving the settlement between Bank of America and the women.

Leon Black

The billionaire co-founder of Apollo Global Management who had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning, and was scheduled to be questioned under oath by lawyers for the plaintiffs and Bank of America.

Jeffrey Epstein

The financier who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and whose alleged sex trafficking network is the subject of ongoing legal battles.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on April 2 whether to approve the settlement between Bank of America and the women who accused the bank of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking network and the role that financial institutions may have played in enabling his criminal activities. It raises questions about corporate responsibility and the duty of banks to report suspicious transactions, even when dealing with high-profile clients.