Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon urged a Manhattan federal judge Thursday to dismiss lawsuits accusing them of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network, arguing that the allegations are “razor-thin” and fail to connect the financial institutions to the crimes.
The suits, filed last month by a survivor identified as Jane Doe, claim the banks provided financial support and a “veneer of institutional legitimacy” to Epstein and his co-conspirators.
Banks Argue Allegations Lack Substance
Both institutions said the complaints recycle boilerplate claims without offering plausible evidence that they did anything beyond routine banking services. Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial, is at the center of the allegations.
BNY’s motion notes that only four paragraphs in the complaint contain allegations unique to the bank—and none claim Epstein held accounts there. “These razor-thin allegations fail to state a claim, and the complaint should be dismissed in its entirety,” the bank wrote.
Similarly, Bank of America called the lawsuit “threadbare and meritless”, saying it largely mirrors prior lawsuits and public reporting, and lacks the non-routine services alleged in prior cases, such as cash structuring or delayed reporting of suspicious transactions exceeding $1 billion.
