Former U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh Jr. has filed a memorandum in federal court seeking to dismiss, transfer, or strike the lawsuit brought by five anonymous women identified as Jane Does 1-5, who accuse the Virgin Islands government and several current and former officials of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network. De Jongh argues that the Southern District of New York lacks jurisdiction, asserting he has been a resident of the U.S. Virgin Islands for decades and has no substantial ties to New York that would justify the case being heard there. He also claims he was improperly served at a Manhattan address where he says he does not reside or maintain control, insisting the lawsuit should be dismissed or moved to the Virgin Islands, where the alleged conduct occurred.

The memorandum further contends that even if the court finds jurisdiction proper, the claims against De Jongh should still be thrown out because they are barred by prior settlement releases signed by Epstein’s victims as part of earlier agreements with his estate. He argues that the complaint fails to allege specific wrongful acts committed by him and maintains that any actions connected to Epstein occurred while he was serving in his official capacity, which he says grants him legal immunity. De Jongh also asks the court to strike portions of the complaint as irrelevant and prejudicial, describing them as inflammatory rather than grounded in fact. The filing adds another layer to the expanding legal fight over what government officials knew— and failed to stop—while Epstein operated in the Virgin Islands.



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