Cecile de Jongh

Cecile de Jongh served as First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2007 to 2015 during her husband John de Jongh Jr.'s tenure as governor. Simultaneously, she worked as an office manager and executive for Jeffrey Epstein's Virgin Islands-based companies, Financial Trust Company and Southern Trust Company, from approximately 2000 to 2019. The archive documents over 10,000 emails spanning three decades, revealing her role coordinating Epstein's business operations in the territory, arranging meetings with local officials, managing property matters, and facilitating his interactions with Virgin Islands government agencies. JPMorgan Chase, in litigation following Epstein's death, alleged she served as "Epstein's primary conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI government" and received approximately $200,000 annually from his companies. Following Epstein's 2019 death, she received over $300,000 in severance from Southern Trust Company. She has been named as a defendant in civil litigation filed by Epstein victims alleging she facilitated his operations in the territory.

Background#

Cecile Rene Galiber de Jongh was born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. She married John Percy de Jongh Jr. in 1986; the couple has three children. Her husband served as governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands from January 2007 to January 2015, making her First Lady during that period. During her tenure as First Lady, she launched initiatives to help expecting mothers and served on the board of Habitat for Humanity International of the Virgin Islands.

Public reporting has established that de Jongh held multiple executive roles with Epstein's Virgin Islands companies. According to Business Insider, she served as vice president, secretary, treasurer, and director of Financial Trust Company, though she was more commonly described publicly as an "office manager." Court documents indicate she worked for Financial Trust Company and Southern Trust Company from 2000 to 2019.

In 2023, JPMorgan Chase filed allegations in federal court stating that de Jongh "worked as Epstein's local fixer for two decades" and devised strategies to facilitate his activities in the territory. In her July 2023 deposition, de Jongh testified she confronted Epstein after his 2006 arrest. In November 2023, she and her husband were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by five Epstein victims alleging the couple helped make the Virgin Islands a "safe haven" for Epstein's sex trafficking operation. Former Governor de Jongh was separately charged in 2015 with embezzlement related to security improvements at his private residence (charges that were later dismissed); court documents show Epstein offered to fund his legal defense.

Correspondence with Epstein#

The archive contains over 10,000 emails involving de Jongh between 1990 and 2021, with nearly 5,000 sent by her and over 4,300 received. The correspondence reveals her role managing Epstein's Virgin Islands business affairs and coordinating his interactions with territorial government officials.

De Jongh's emails demonstrate day-to-day operational management of Epstein's Virgin Islands office. She arranged meetings with attorneys, coordinated appointments with government officials, forwarded weather updates from Virgin Islands officials, managed tuition payments for employees' children, and handled voter registration matters. In October 2014, she informed Epstein: "I signed you up for the absentee ballot since early voting was still a bit iffy".

The correspondence reveals her role facilitating Epstein's relationship with Virgin Islands regulatory agencies. In April 2019, she told Epstein she had spoken with David Bornn and "told him the DPNR has still not provided permits despite the Governor's assurances that they would be forthcoming", referring to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. When DPNR Commissioner Dawn Henry requested a meeting with Epstein in September 2016, de Jongh relayed that "JE said that he will not meet with her". In April 2019, she proposed to Epstein: "I would like to propose an idea to you re the AG and, to a lesser extent JP", referring to the Attorney General and another official.

De Jongh coordinated numerous meetings between Epstein and her husband, then-Governor de Jongh. In June 2010, she arranged for the governor to meet Epstein at 3 PM at the office. In November 2014, she confirmed "John can meet you at our office at 12:30 PM tomorrow". She facilitated meetings with other territory officials, scheduling Attorney Rivers at the STC office at 12PM and Carlton Dowe at 1PM.

The emails show de Jongh managing business matters for Epstein's Little St. James and Great St. James properties. In June 2016, she drafted a letter demanding Better Roads return $114,540.53 for work not performed on Little St. James. In October 2016, she forwarded Epstein a message from DPNR's Coastal Zone Management Director about unauthorized construction activity on Great St. James, including concrete trucks working without proper permits. In January 2014, she forwarded architectural proposals for renovations to the living room at Little St. James.

Financial matters appear throughout the correspondence. In September 2010, de Jongh sent Epstein a direct appeal regarding tuition payments for her children: "I have not received an answer or indication from you on this subject so I have to assume that it is no. If that is the case, I will need to negotiate a raise so that I can afford to pay for my children's tuition at college." The archive shows Epstein subsequently paid tuition at Antilles School, with de Jongh forwarding a $15,900 invoice to Richard Kahn in June 2010.

She handled administrative matters for Epstein's academic conferences in the Virgin Islands. In November 2011, she coordinated menu planning for an Origins Project conference, informing attendees including Lawrence Krauss and Marvin Minsky: "I need to plan up your meals with the hotel and the lunch on Jeffrey's island therefore; I need make them aware of any food allergies, special dietary needs or constraints."

De Jongh's role extended to monitoring Epstein's sex offender registration compliance. In February 2015, she scheduled appointments including one with "Ms. Pinney at VI Department of Justice", noting "His original date was March 3rd but he asked that it be moved up to tomorrow since he will be out of the territory next week."

The correspondence continued through July 2021, just days before the full email archive was released. Her final documented email to Epstein, dated July 31, 2021, had the subject line "Dental Board."

Connections#

De Jongh's most frequent co-correspondents beyond Epstein were members of his staff and professional network. Richard Kahn, Epstein's property manager and estate co-executor, appears in 952 shared emails. Daphne Wallace, who worked at the Virgin Islands office, shares 772 emails. Ann Rodriguez, another staff member, appears in 735 emails. Jermaine Ruan, IT coordinator for the properties, shares 537 emails.

She coordinated extensively with Lesley Groff, Epstein's longtime executive assistant in New York (509 shared emails), and Jeanne Brennan, office manager (449 shared emails). Legal matters connected her with Darren Indyke, Epstein's attorney and estate co-executor (248 shared emails), and Erika Kellerhals, another Virgin Islands attorney (218 emails).

The correspondence shows interaction with Epstein's scientific network, particularly Lawrence Krauss (125 shared emails), whom she helped host for conferences and island visits. She also corresponded with pilots Larry Visoski (140 emails) and Brice Gordon (130 emails) regarding travel logistics.

Document References#

Multiple JPMorgan Chase Bank corporate resolution forms from March 2010 list de Jongh as Secretary of Financial Trust Company, with authority to execute banking, investment management, brokerage, and credit transactions. She is listed alongside Darren Indyke and Jeanne Brennan as authorized signers for the entity, with certain transactions requiring joint signatures. These documents establish her formal executive role in Epstein's Virgin Islands financial operations.

Court documents filed by JPMorgan Chase in 2023 describe de Jongh's role in detail. According to a filing in the bank's defense against a Virgin Islands government lawsuit, de Jongh "told Epstein which government officials to pay off, and devised ways to justify his victims' presence in the territory by enrolling them at the University of the Virgin Islands so they could obtain student visas." The filing alleges she "asked Epstein—a registered sex offender—to suggest changes to the territory's sex offender law in 2011, and apologized profusely, via email, when not all of his revisions were included in the final version." It further states that "when Epstein needed visas for three young women he wanted to bring to the territory, de Jongh arranged for him to meet with a local immigration lawyer" and "contacted the University of the Virgin Islands to see if they could enroll in English as a Second Language classes to obtain student visas."

The JPMorgan filing alleges de Jongh facilitated Epstein's travel: "As a sex offender, Epstein occasionally encountered difficulties traveling through the airport with young women. But Epstein needed only 'to email the USVI's First Lady, who gamely intervened on his behalf' by reaching out to her husband." The document cites a November 15, 2012 email from Epstein to de Jongh "regarding sending 'all 78 [USVI customs agents] a turkey' for Thanksgiving."

Regarding compensation, the JPMorgan filing states de Jongh received "a salary, bonuses, and other benefits, including $200,000 in 2007 alone." After Epstein's death in 2019, she received "more than $300,000 in a lump sum severance payment from Epstein's Southern Trust Company for her termination."

A 2015 motion to dismiss criminal charges against her husband, former Governor John de Jongh Jr., provides context for the couple's relationship with Epstein. The document details embezzlement charges (later dismissed) related to security improvements at the governor's private residence, and references Epstein's offer to fund the former governor's legal defense.

Visits to Epstein Properties#

The archive documents de Jongh's work at Epstein's Virgin Islands office but does not clearly specify which property housed the Southern Trust Company office. References indicate she worked from an "STC office" in the Virgin Islands where meetings were held.

Manhattan townhouse: In July 2017, de Jongh inquired about access to Epstein's New York apartment, writing: "I'm here in the city and plan on going to the apartment tomorrow. What do I need to do to get in there and is it ok to do so tomorrow morning?" She was provided access to apartment 7J.

Little St. James island: The correspondence shows de Jongh coordinated conferences and events at Little St. James but does not document personal visits separate from her work capacity. In November 2011, she organized menu planning for an academic conference that included "lunch on Jeffrey's island." In October 2015, a staff member noted that "Jeffrey is hosting Lawrence Krauss and family on the island this Friday Oct. 9th for lunch", though this appears to reference Epstein as host rather than documenting de Jongh's attendance.

Great St. James island: In October 2016, she forwarded Epstein a message from DPNR officials about construction activity observed on Great St. James, indicating her monitoring role for the property.

Palm Beach: No visits documented in available archive materials.

New Mexico ranch: No visits documented in available archive materials.

Paris apartment: No visits documented in available archive materials.

Criminal Activity#

The evidence in the archive documents conduct that falls within the scope of multiple federal statutes, though de Jongh has not been criminally charged.

The JPMorgan Chase court filing alleges de Jongh "devised ways to justify his victims' presence in the territory by enrolling them at the University of the Virgin Islands so they could obtain student visas" and "arranged for him to meet with a local immigration lawyer to assist at least one woman" and "contacted the University of the Virgin Islands to see if they could enroll in English as a Second Language classes to obtain student visas." If these allegations are accurate, such conduct—facilitating immigration fraud to enable sex trafficking victims to remain in the territory—falls within the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 1591 (sex trafficking of children) as aiding and abetting under 18 U.S.C. § 2, and potentially 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to commit federal offenses). See Criminal Statutes.

The JPMorgan filing further alleges that when Epstein "encountered difficulties traveling through the airport with young women" as a registered sex offender, de Jongh "intervened on his behalf by reaching out to her husband" the governor, and that Epstein could "count on his 'great relationship' with airport officials to avoid scrutiny or detection." Such conduct—using official influence to help a registered sex offender evade monitoring while accompanied by potential victims—could constitute obstruction under 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (tampering with a federal official proceeding). See Criminal Statutes.

The same filing alleges de Jongh "asked Epstein—a registered sex offender—to suggest changes to the territory's sex offender law in 2011", conduct that could constitute conspiracy to obstruct justice under 18 U.S.C. § 371. See Criminal Statutes.