Fund created for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, many from Palm Beach County

Palm Beach Post - 6/25/2020

For more than 15 years, she kept secret her claims that Jeffrey Epstein raped her at a party filled with well-heeled luminaries in New York.

However, on Thursday, with her West Palm Beach lawyer looking on, she stepped partially out of the shadows in hopes of encouraging other women to come forward to get some measure of justice for the abuse they suffered from the Palm Beach millionaire she described as "a monster."

>>Read The Post's investigation: To local prosecutors, Epstein's victims were prostitutes

Roughly a year after Epstein's death in a New York City jail cell, victims of his abuse can begin applying for compensation through his estimated $600 million estate in the Virgin Islands.

"For me, it's not so much about the money," the unidentified woman said during a phone call to her lawyer's office. "I just want to let people know how much of a monster he was and to encourage other women who are struggling to come forward."

Attorney Spencer Kuvin, who is representing the woman and at least three of Epstein's other accusers, said the creation of the fund is an important step in finally helping the women come to terms with the enormity of the abuse they suffered.

Unlike other predators, such as movie mogul Harvey Weinstein or comedian Bill Cosby, Epstein didn't operate alone. Using his enormous wealth and political connections, he built a vast network to recruit young women in Palm Beach County and elsewhere to provide sex to him and other powerful men.

"This story has absolutely everything," Kuvin said. "It has money. It has politics. It has power. It has intrigue. It has distant locales, like the Virgin Islands. Obviously, it has sex and abuse. There is really nothing like this in recorded history."

Compensation in the millions

The compensation fund is similar those set up for victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church. It is being administered by Jordana "Jordy" Feldman, who served as deputy special master of the September 11thVictim Compensation Fund, which distributed some $6 billion to victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Feldman, who will review each claim individually, said there are no limits on how much she can distribute or how much each woman can receive.

She estimated individual checks would range from "the thousands to the millions," depending on the nature and frequency of the abuse.

While attorneys representing roughly 70 women participated in negotiations about how the fund would operate, she said she had no idea how many would actually apply for compensation. Some have estimated Epstein abused hundreds of women, beginning in the 1990s.

Since the fund was created, many additional women have come forward to report that they, too, were molested, Kuvin said.

They are empowered by the willingness of other victims to publicly talk about how Epstein sexually abused them at his Palm Beach mansion, New York apartment, estate in the Virgin Island and his ranch in New Mexico, he said.

But, the woman who talked to reporters by phone, said she finally felt safe to speak out.

"I was scared for my safety and for my family's safety because he knew powerful people," she said. It wasn't until his death that she said she finally could breathe easy.

But, she stopped short of allowing her name to be used or telling the details about her abuse by Epstein. Kuvin said only that Epstein raped her "many years ago" after inviting her to a party in New York attended by many prominent people.

He said it happened before Epstein began luring dozens of teens, some as young as 14, to his mansion in Palm Beach in the early 2000s.

Epstein's associates off the hook

One of the reasons for the woman's reticence is that she is likely to sue the estate as well as apply for money from the compensation program, Kuvin said. If she isn't satisfied with the amount Feldman awards her, she could pursue the lawsuit.

Under the terms of the compensation program, if they accept any money, victims have to drop lawsuits against not just Epstein's estate but any of his associates, including his longtime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, Feldman said.

Those representing the estate, including Epstein's brother, Mark, insisted the British socialite, who has been accused of recruiting dozens of teens for Epstein, be protected, she said.

Those who don't think the amount they are offered is fair have the option of pursuing lawsuits against the estate, Kuvin said. The more than two dozen women who settled lawsuits with Epstein years ago will likely have their awards reduced by the amount they already received, he said.

Feldman said the nature of Epstein's illicit operation will add to the complexity of determining who deserves what.

For instance, some of the Royal Palm Beach and John I Leonard high school students who were lured to Epstein's Palm Beach estate recruited other teens. They went to the mansion expecting to be paid $200 for a massage. Instead, he urged them to take off their clothes and often forced them to perform oral sex or penetrated them.

"His recruitment web was girls telling their friends, 'Hey, you want to make some money?'" Feldman said.

However, she said, she recognizes some of those so-called recruiters were also victims. Sorting out the mental hold Epstein had on each of the young women will be part of the process of determining how much each will receive.

But, she said, all of the information she receives will be confidential. While the young women will be free to talk to federal agents who are still investigating Epstein's associates and can tell their stories publicly, their applications for compensation will remain off-limits, Feldman said.

"I'm confident that this program will provide these victims with a measure of justice and validation they deserve," she said.

Kuvin agreed that the compensation program will help Epstein's many victims move on with their lives.

"Jeffrey Epstein has failed, and his victims have won," he said. Two days before Epstein was found dead from hanging in a New York City jail cell, he created a blind trust in the Virgin Islands.

"He attempted to shield over a half-billion dollars from his victims that he molested and victimized for over 20 years," Kuvin added.

Appropriately, he said, that money will instead be used to compensate them.

But, he said, many questions remain.

Like many, Kuvin said he questions whether Epstein committed suicide while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges that could have sent him to prison for more than 40 years. The circumstances surrounding his death indicate he may have been killed, he said.

Will investigation go on?

Further, while hopeful, he questioned whether federal prosecutors in New York will continue to investigate Maxwell, and others , such as Britain'sPrince Andrew. Virginia Giuffre , who first met Epstein while working at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach, said the self-described financier trafficked her to many men, including Prince Andrew.

Kuvin said his concerns about the fate of the investigation of Epstein's associates have increased in the last week.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who finally filed federal charges against Epstein last year, was removed from his post by U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Trump on Saturday.

Barr has long connections with Epstein, Kuvin said. Trump was friends with Epstein.

"We know our president, unfortunately, has a tendency to want to help his friends," Kuvin said.

Still, after years of watching Epstein slip through the judicial system, Epstein's victims feel some level of comfort that the trauma they suffered is being recognized, he said.

Before Epstein was arrested in New York the only punishment he received was serving 13 months of an 18-month jail sentence in the Palm Beach County Stockade after pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution.

What most describe as "a sweetheart deal" was negotiated by former South Florida U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta with the help of then Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer. Acosta agreed to shelve a 53-page federal indictment after Epstein agreed to plead guilty to the state charges.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating Krischer's handling of the case. It is also investigating why the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office allowed Epstein to leave his cell 12 hours a day, six days a week. In a lawsuit, a woman claims he forced her to have sex while working at his office and supposedly being guarded by sheriff's deputies.

Still, for the moment, at least, the victims can finally celebrate that their pain will be recognized, Kuvin said.

"The victims now finally have a clear path to justice," he said. "Hopefully, this is the first page of the final chapter of the Epstein saga."

Epstein victims can apply for compensation at www.epsteinvcp.com, email ClaimantServices@EpsteinVCP.com or call the toll-free helpline at (877) 312-3055.

jmusgrave@pbpost.com

@pbpcourts

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