The current governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan Jr., reportedly exerted pressure on a now-fired prosecutor to grant a legal waiver to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr., a Democrat, allegedly approached Attorney General Denise George to request a waiver from travel restrictions for Epstein. George testified under oath that Bryan had contacted her to consider granting Epstein a waiver due to his lawyers’ impending request.
Vincent Frazer, who served as the Virgin Islands attorney general from 2007 to 2015, previously granted Epstein a waiver from in-person reporting requirements. This waiver allowed Epstein to notify authorities 72 hours before leaving the Virgin Islands, using email notification. Epstein’s lawyers argued that his frequent business travel warranted this waiver.
The Virgin Islands passed a law in 2012 outlining sex offender requirements, giving the attorney general discretionary powers to relax or exempt these rules in specific cases, particularly for offenders frequently traveling outside the Virgin Islands for business reasons.
Frazer later reduced the notification time from 72 hours to 24 hours after Epstein’s lawyers’ complaints. Acting Attorney General Carol Thomas-Jacobs revoked the waiver in 2019 due to a lack of evidence supporting it.
Denise George, who became the Virgin Islands attorney general in the past year, disclosed that Governor Bryan approached her after she had carefully examined the records. She concluded that the records did not provide substantial arguments to lift the restrictions.
George perceived political maneuvering in Bryan’s actions, suggesting Epstein was using his influence to gain a favorable outcome. She found this interaction inappropriate and concerning, noting that it appeared to be an attempt to interfere with law enforcement matters.
Bryan allegedly texted George again after her initial decision, urging her to reconsider. She refused and noticed a change in the governor’s behavior afterward.
In a separate context, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon provided depositions related to lawsuits involving Epstein. The U.S. Virgin Islands and the bank were trading accusations over Epstein’s alleged child sex trafficking activities.
A federal investigation shed light on Epstein’s suspicious 2019 death. The investigation found negligence and misconduct within the Bureau of Prisons and its staff members, creating an environment that facilitated Epstein’s suicide. The report upheld Epstein’s death as a suicide but revealed inadequacies that deprived his victims of justice.
While the medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death as a suicide, persistent questions surround the circumstances before and after his demise. Even Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, publicly speculated that he might have been killed. His death occurred shortly after his former cellmate alerted guards about Epstein’s apparent suicide attempt.
