WASHINGTON: The estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle a lawsuit filed against it by survivors of Epstein's abuse, according to a court document filed on Thursday (Feb 19). The agreement must be approved by a federal judge in New York before it can become final.
According to the proposal, the settlement relates to dozens of victims who allege they were "sexually assaulted or abused or trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein between January 1, 1995, and through August 10, 2019," the date the disgraced financier was found dead in his prison cell.
Under the terms outlined in the filing, Epstein's estate would pay $35 million if 40 or more people are deemed eligible in the settlement class. If fewer than 40 individuals qualify, the payout would be reduced to $25 million.
The co-executors of the settlement, Epstein's former lawyer Darren Indyke and former accountant Richard Kahn, have denied any wrongdoing through their associations with Epstein. They have not been accused of any sexual abuse crimes or of witnessing sexual abuse. However, if confirmed, the settlement would bring to a close an initial lawsuit filed in 2024 that accused the two advisers of enabling Epstein's illicit activities through their legal and business services.
According to the judgment filed in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday, the agreement does not imply that the co-executors admit fault or are liable to further legal action from victims.
Bloomberg reported that the law firm representing the class of victims, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, was confident that there were at least 40 victims who had not yet settled with Epstein's estate.
The settlement comes after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released millions of documents, photos and videos related to the investigation into Epstein and his associates. (Agencies)
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