CBS News Not Airing ‘60 Minutes’ Jeffrey Epstein Story Under Scrutiny
A Senate Finance Committee report on Epstein’s banking links has revived questions about a 60 Minutes segment that never aired.
Senator Ron Wyden has raised concerns over the absence of a 60 Minutes interview with former correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi about Jeffrey Epstein's banking practices. In a Senate Finance Committee report, Wyden alleged that Deutsche Bank had failed to promptly disclose over $250 million in suspicious transactions linked to Epstein.
The report stated that major banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America, had violated anti-money laundering laws by not reporting Epstein's transactions in a timely manner. Wyden's investigation, which spanned four years, examined suspicious activity reports, lawsuit materials, court filings, and requests for information from banks and the Treasury Department.
JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America all denied any wrongdoing, stating that they complied with their legal and regulatory obligations. A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase emphasized that the bank had flagged suspicious transactions for the government as early as 2002 and had reported transactions related to human trafficking, even after closing Epstein's accounts.
The report also highlighted that Epstein was able to move large sums of money while banks delayed reporting suspicious activity. Wyden, a ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, has been pushing for accountability in Epstein's trafficking operation, stating that his team had connected the dots and found evidence of multiple crimes related to Epstein's associates.
CBS News defended its decision not to air the interview, stating that the segment was not ready before the show's season ended. The network emphasized that they air pieces when they are ready and that suggesting an interview is being "suppressed" for any reason is categorically false. However, the interview with Alfonsi never aired, and Alfonsi later left CBS News in May due to an "intense editorial dispute" over a separate 60 Minutes segment. CBS News continues to maintain its "aggressive and extensive reporting" on the Epstein scandal.
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