Federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff has accelerated litigation brought by a woman who says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, ordering the case against Bank of America (BofA) and The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY) onto a fast track. The plaintiff (referred to as “Jane Doe”) alleges the banks knowingly facilitated Epstein’s trafficking operation, pointing to an account opened at BofA at Epstein’s direction and alleging BNY processed around $378 million in payments to trafficking victims. The judge set November deadlines for motions to dismiss, demands full discovery by late February 2026, and indicated trials could begin in May or June 2026.

The lawsuits bring fresh scrutiny to how major financial institutions may have turned a blind eye—or worse—to red flags around Epstein’s operations. In the BofA complaint, the claim is made that the bank failed to file required Suspicious Activity Reports despite multiple warning signs, and profited from Epstein’s business. The BNY suit accuses the bank of giving credit lines and processing vast sums tied to Epstein’s model-agency front used in trafficking. Both banks say they will defend vigorously. The move follows earlier suits against JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank that settled for hundreds of millions of dollars without admissions of liability.


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Epstein Victim Lawsuits Against Bank of America and BNY Moving Quickly - Business Insider