Attorney General Denise George caved in. She decided the government isn’t going to insist that the estate cancel the non-disclosure agreements Jeffrey Epstein’s employees all signed. The legal gags forbid them from testifying against his criminal co-conspirators. Her demands are “still important,” she asserts, but “canceling the agreements would not be tied to the Justice Department’s approval.”

Attorney General caved in to aid the victims

Previously, Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George filed a civil lawsuit, so that the Department of Justice could be sure Epstein’s victim’s get fair compensation. On Wednesday, March 18, her office filed a “Status Update” with the Probate Court in the Virgin Islands.

All along, Ms. George has been insisting that the non-disclosure agreements are designed specifically to “conceal the criminal activity of Epstein and his associates who are still there.” There were a whole slew of people did everything from drive his boats to manage his companies. They “probably know more about Epstein’s activities than anyone else.”

One employee is already on record. “An employee told me that he saw Prince Andrew on a balcony out at Little St. James groping girls right out in the open,” George told reporters last month. There is no way she can investigate the charges “against friends and associates of Epstein,” unless the NDA’s are lifted. She hasn’t disclosed her new strategy but the DOJ has decided “canceling the agreements would not be tied to the Justice Department’s approval of the Victim Compensation Fund.”

Not fighting over administrators either

Attorney General George also unexpectedly softened her stance over the administrators picked to manage the victims’ compensation fund. She didn’t like the ones proposed by the estate, it seemed too much like they were trying to put the rats in charge of the cheese. She already has a problem with the trust lawyers who are potentially also co-conspirators. They have been writing checks to people like Ghislaine Maxwell for years. Last week, Maxwell filed her own claim against the estate for unpaid security bills that are piling up to keep her in hiding.

Ms. George insists that she isn’t backing down on her battle over fairness to the victims. She still doesn’t like the proposed provision that as part of a settlement, the victims are being asked to agree not to sue any other person who may be involved. That’s not a typical settlement requirement. It would be normal for the victims to agree not to sue the estate after they settle with it but not normal to agree not to sue the other criminals.

Ms. George says they worked out an agreement, but even so, there are remaining issues. “While the Estate and its program administrator have addressed several of these recommendations, significant issues remain.” The victims want to name an independent expert. It’s not clear if Marci Hamilton will replace the ones suggested by the estate, or be an addition to a panel. Hamilton is CEO of Child USA and known as “the country’s preeminent expert and advocate on child sexual abuse issues.”

“Professor Hamilton’s involvement would ensure that the program operates, and is perceived as operating, fairly, independently, and with informed sensitivity to the unique experiences of victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.”