Bank of America Reaches Proposed Settlement in Epstein Trafficking Lawsuit

The proposed settlement would resolve a class-action complaint alleging the bank aided Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:39pm

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Bank of America has reached a proposed, non-binding settlement in a lawsuit that alleged the bank helped facilitate Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation. The proposed class-action complaint, filed in October 2025, claimed that Bank of America 'knowingly provided the financial support and the veneer of institutional legitimacy' to Epstein and ignored suspicious transactions by the late disgraced financier. The terms of the settlement were not immediately disclosed and would need to be approved by a federal judge.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing legal reckoning over Epstein's crimes and the role that financial institutions may have played in enabling his sex trafficking network. The proposed settlement could provide some measure of justice for Epstein's victims, though the full details remain to be seen.

The details

The lawsuit alleged that Bank of America failed to alert law enforcement about Epstein's crimes, even as he made large transactions that should have raised red flags. The bank had unsuccessfully tried to have the case dismissed, arguing that it merely provided 'routine services' to Epstein. A court hearing to consider the settlement proposal is scheduled for April 2 in federal court in New York.

  • The proposed class-action complaint was filed in October 2025.
  • The case was previously scheduled to go to trial on May 11, 2026.
  • A court hearing to consider the settlement proposal is scheduled for April 2, 2026.

The players

Bank of America

A major U.S. bank that was accused of aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation by providing financial services and ignoring suspicious transactions.

Jeffrey Epstein

The late disgraced financier who was convicted of sex trafficking and other crimes before his death in 2019.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Epstein's longtime associate who was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges related to Epstein's crimes.

Leon Black

The co-founder of Apollo Global Management who was scheduled to be deposed in the lawsuit against Bank of America before the proposed settlement was reached.

Sigrid McCawley

An attorney representing the victims in the lawsuit against Bank of America.

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What they’re saying

“The women entrapped and abused by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell started a monumental reckoning with their brave voices and fearlessness. The road to justice for these women has been long and trying.”

— Sigrid McCawley, Attorney for the victims (ABC News)

What’s next

A court hearing to consider the settlement proposal is scheduled for April 2, 2026. If approved, the settlement would likely scuttle an upcoming deposition of Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black, who was scheduled to sit for questioning on March 26.

The takeaway

This proposed settlement represents another step in the ongoing legal reckoning over Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and the role that financial institutions may have played in enabling his sex trafficking network. While the details of the settlement are not yet known, it could provide some measure of justice for Epstein's victims, though the full scope of accountability remains to be seen.