Bari Weiss and 60 Minutes spike Epstein bank investigation
A new Senate report says Wall Street's biggest banks helped Jeffrey Epstein move money for years, and CBS buried a story about it — bad for the banks and for CBS's credibility.
- Senator Ron Wyden's investigation says Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, and Bank of America ignored anti-money-laundering rules to keep Epstein as a client.
- Deutsche Bank alone failed to promptly flag a quarter-billion dollars in suspicious payments, including cash sent to women in Russia and Eastern Europe.
- The banks kept quiet because Epstein was a golden goose, steering ultra-rich clients their way even after JP Morgan formally dropped him over trafficking concerns.
- 60 Minutes recorded an interview with Wyden about all this back in March, then shelved the story and fired the correspondent who did it.
- The correspondent was let go after criticizing CBS leadership and Bari Weiss's editorial calls, raising suspicion the network is protecting powerful people.
Outlook: Expect pressure for criminal charges against the bankers and closer scrutiny of what CBS chooses to air next season.