The woman spotted to Donald Trump’s right while he made a profanity-laden speech against Kamala Harris and other notable names at the Al Smith Charity Dinner roast in New York is a top JP Morgan executive who has been tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mary Erdoes, vice chairperson of the Al Smith Memorial Foundation, was seen laughing at times, and at other moments grimacing, like when Trump emphasized former President Barack Obama’s middle name, Hussein.
Erdoes is one of the star executives at JPMorgan Chase, who kept doing business with Epstein long after he was first convicted of sex trafficking children.
She referred to his conviction as “allegations,” and was alerted at least six times to his crimes–but did nothing to remove him as a client, a deposition seen by The Washington Post revealed.
Since Epstein’s death, lawsuits accused JP Morgan of clearing the path for his sex crimes via Erdoes’ division, according to Bloomberg. Erdoes was not named as a defendant in the suits but messages between herself and the infamous financier previously raised eyebrows.
Erdoes, a lawsuit by the US Virgin Islands against the bank claims, sought help from Epstein amid Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme in 2008–after Epstein had been convicted of sex trafficking.
“This is terrible. Just terrible … We have HUNDREDS of clients ….,” Erdoes wrote in an email to then-colleague Jes Staley that December.
She added that she had been communicating with Glenn Dubin, a friend of Epstein, over the matter.
“The ny/palm beach community will be in shock,” Erdoes added, according to court papers filed last summer in the Southern District of New York.
“Can you call JE [Jeffrey Epstein] to get the scoop from down there?”
In June 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That was part of a non-prosecution agreement, which the Justice Department acknowledged years later–after his death–was made in “poor judgment.”
When contacted by the New York Post about this, JPMorgan spokesperson Darin Oduyoye said, “While we regret any association with Jeffrey Epstein, we would never have continued to do business with him if we believed he was using our bank to commit heinous crimes.”
“Mary Erdoes and others exited him as a client six years before he was charged with human trafficking,” continued Oduyoye, in reference to Epstein’s July 2019 arrest.
“Mary has always held herself and her colleagues to the highest standards of integrity and trust, leading the Asset & Wealth Management business by example,” he added. “Her competence and character are top-notch, and she is consistently recognized as one of the top executives in financial services.”
JPMorgan has denied the claims in the lawsuit. Erdoes was responsible for ending their relationship with Epstein, it said. The bank has sued Staley, arguing it was he who kept the sex offender as a client for so long.
