by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY, Nov 24 – After passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in Congress, DOJ made a second request to unseal his criminal case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which Inner City Press closely covers.
On November 25, Judge Richard M. Berman set a schedule: "any submission on behalf of the deceased defendant Epstein is to be delivered to the Court's chambers by noon on December 3, 2025. Submissions from Victims: Pursuant to the Crime Victims' Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771, the Government shall immediately notify Epstein's victims of the second motion to unseal. Submissions from victims who wish to be heard (directly or through counsel) in response to the Government's second motion are due by noon on December 3, 2025.
The case is USA v. Epstein, 1:19-cr-490 (Berman)
Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase's apparent enabling of sex trafficking by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as its "debanking," have been formally raised by Fair Finance Watch on November 24 to the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, opposing JPMC's applications including to open eight branches while closing in low and moderate income communities.
As the US bank regulators including the OCC under Comptroller Jonathan V. Gould move to limit public notice and participation in review of banks' applications for approvals, and purport to take seriously debanking and even banks' enabling of sex trafficking, this is a test:
To Comptroller Gould and To Whom it May Concern at the OCC:
On behalf of Fair Finance Watch and in my personal capacity there are timely comments opposing JPMorgan Chase NA's branch applications list below, all of which have comment periods running through today November 24 or later. These comments are timely.
FFW has reviewed the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data of JPMorgan Chase NA and finds that it is deteriorating. For now, here are JPMC's nationwide numbers:
In 2024, the most recent year for which HMDA data is available and data for which has not been reviewed in any Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation, JPM Chase NA nationwide made 52,013 mortgage loans to whites, while denying 7437 applications from whites. Meanwhile it made only 6222 loans to African Americans, with fully 1565 denials. Beyond these disparities, JPM Chase's lending to African Americans is even down from 2022, when it made 7505 loans to African Americans. JPM Chase is in decline.
Also for the record on these and all other JPM Chase applications before the OCC, now and until at least the end of the year: JPM Chase has been exposed as having enabled sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, including a current Congressional inquiry into Suspicious Activity Reports it should have filed by didn't.
Also, on the issue of debanking which the OCC (and Comptroller) have said they take so seriously, for the record on these and all other JPM Chase applications, consider: "Strike CEO Jack Mallers said JPMorgan Chase closed his bank accounts without a proper explanation last month, prompting concerns of debanking of crypto CEOs. "Last month, J.P. Morgan Chase threw me out of the bank," Mallers wrote on social media platform X on Sunday. "It was bizarre. My dad has been a private client there for 30+ years." When Mallers inquired why his accounts were closed, he said JPMorgan’s only response was: "We aren’t allowed to tell you.'"
This is a debanking complaint to the OCC, on pending applications - please immediately confirm receipt, and take action. Public hearings are hereby timely requested, initially timely on these (and also on all of the pending and 2025 applications)...
Meanwhile, JPM Chase NA is moving to CLOSE branches in low and moderate income areas. As only one example - and hereby raised, along with the request(s) for public hearings, FFW opposes this proposed closing by JPM Chase in a moderate income census tract, over 80% "minority" --
South Holland 370 EAST 162ND STREET SOUTH HOLLAND IL 60473 Cook 141494A
A hearing is requested, timely opposition made.
Thank you for your attention, /s/ Matthew Lee, Esq. Executive Director Fair Finance Watch
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