CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Former Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George issued a public statement Monday about her efforts to secure a financial settlement from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, following Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s decision to abruptly terminate her as he begins his second four-year term, noting she stands by her decision.
While rumors have swirled that Bryan was displeased with George’s actions to move forward with a new lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, Government House Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. said Monday that is false.
In response to questions from The Daily News, Motta said Bryan’s decision was unrelated to the case, which accuses the bank of turning a blind eye to Epstein’s questionable financial transactions and allowing him to exploit young women and girls.
“The AG was not relieved of her duties because of Epstein or the JPMorgan suit. In fact, the governor supported the AG in going about seeking justice for the victims,” Motta said in a text message Monday night.
Conspiracy theorists on social media have even speculated that George’s firing may have involved President Joseph Biden, who recently visited St. Croix on vacation.
Motta said the termination was unrelated to Epstein, and was the result of ongoing local issues in the V.I. Justice Department.
“If Governor Bryan was trying to protect Epstein or whatever the narrative is, he would’ve relieved the AG of her duties two years ago when she initially pursued the case,” Motta said. “He simply grew frustrated over the years with the lack of communication and focus on local matters under the purview of the AG’s office — like the morgue situation which has not been rectified.”
In July, reports of unsanitary conditions at the Juan Luis Hospital morgue on St. Croix prompted the Justice Department, which oversees the Medical Examiner’s Office, to transport bodies from St. Croix to the St. Thomas morgue for autopsy. It remains unclear when the lack of a morgue on St. Croix will be resolved.
There have been other issues as well, including the 2020 dismissal of a criminal case against three men accused of embezzling millions in federal funding to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
The case was filed in 2017, but the defendants were never brought to trial.
Then-Superior Court Judge Robert Molloy, who now serves on the District Court, issued an opinion scolding prosecutors for essentially letting the case fall through the cracks, and ordered the Justice Department to develop a plan “to ensure what occurred here — several public attorneys ‘disappeared’ without notice and without designating successor counsel — does not happen again.”
In her statement Monday, George reflected on her time as attorney general.
“Serving as the Attorney General of the United States Virgin Islands for nearly four years has been the greatest privilege of my career. I have had the honor of leading a talented Department of Justice staff, who have worked with enormous skill, dedication, and integrity every single day of my tenure.
“I devoted most of my career to public service as a government lawyer and prosecutor. I am enormously proud of what we have accomplished during my tenure, including successful prosecutions of violent crimes and elderly financial fraud; boosting sex offender registry enforcements to protect public safety; and collecting millions of dollars in consumer protection lawsuits including from the opioid crisis.
“We worked relentlessly to secure justice and fairness for the many sex trafficking victims of Jeffrey Epstein, including through the victim compensation program that has helped so many people affected by his crimes. We also won the largest financial settlement in the Virgin Islands’ history of more than $105 million dollars, plus a guarantee that 50 percent of the sale of Little St. James will go to the Virgin Islands’ government.
“The Epstein anti-criminal enterprise lawsuit brought accountability for their sex trafficking operation of girls and women and Epstein’s fraudulent acquisition of over 80 million dollars in tax benefits from the Virgin Islands. Now those funds can be applied to programs that provide services to assist victims of sexual assault, sex trafficking and child abuse and sexual exploitation in the Virgin Islands, along with other purposes that serve the public good, health and safety.
“There is still important work to be pursued to ensure that the entities and individuals who participated in Epstein’s sex trafficking operations are held accountable irrespective of their political or economic power or stature. That is why I stand firm in my belief that the lawsuit I filed against JPMorgan Chase in our pursuit of justice must continue. No institution, organization or person should be off-limits, no matter how wealthy or powerful. The people are owed justice.
“The Virgin Islands Attorney General, as in everywhere else in the United States, is required to prosecute or pursue legal action for violations of the law, and to serve the people. We are to administer justice fairly and impartially without political influence or interference. Doing the job of the Attorney General should not be incompatible with holding the job of Attorney General.”
“I thank Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. for appointing me as the Attorney General, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands for confirming my nomination, and the many people of the Virgin Islands for their encouragement and support. When I first took office in 2019, I made an oath to uphold our laws and administer justice fairly, without fear or favor. Now as I stand at the end of my tenure, my heart is filled with gratitude for having had the honor to uphold that oath and to serve the people of the Virgin Islands.”
–The V.I. Daily News contributed to this report.