We Got U: Leaked Texts Reveal Jeffrey Epstein's Lobbying of US Virgin Islands Governor
Long before his arrest in July 2019, the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein apparently had a direct and intimate line of communication with the highest-ranking official in the US Virgin Islands (USVI). A series of text messages and emails reviewed by CNN reveal how Epstein lobbied Governor Albert Bryan Jr. to halt environmental investigations into his private properties.
In early 2019, USVI environmental authorities issued a cease-and-desist order for unauthorized construction on Epstein’s private island. Feeling pressured by potential fines and negative publicity, Epstein turned directly to Governor Bryan for assistance.
In text messages sent in 2019, Governor Bryan, a Democrat, appears to offer special assurances to the convicted sex offender. When Epstein complained about pressure from regulators, Bryan responded with a reassuring tone.
“We got u,” Bryan wrote in one of the text messages.
The Governor also assured Epstein that he had instructed the environmental commissioner handling the case to back down. “I told him to resign and give in to all the previous permit requests,” Bryan wrote.
The messages reveal Epstein’s modus operandi, using his wealth and promises of investment as political leverage. He even threatened to move investors to Puerto Rico if the US Virgin Islands government continued to “harass” his projects.
The relationship is believed to have begun when Bryan was campaigning for governor in 2018. Documents show meetings between Bryan’s campaign team and Epstein’s personal assistant and tax attorney to discuss economic development in the territory.
Epstein even felt comfortable asking for the governor’s time during his public schedule.
“Can I get 15 minutes?” Epstein wrote in April 2019.
“For you, of course,” Bryan replied.
In sworn testimony in 2023, Governor Bryan denied giving Epstein special treatment. However, he drew sharp criticism after referring to Epstein’s victims as “underage prostitutes” in his deposition, a statement he later retracted and apologized for.
While the lobbying appears intense, it is unclear whether any official administrative actions were actually changed as a result of the governor’s intervention. Shortly after the series of messages ended in May 2019, Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges and found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August of the same year.
Following his death, the US Virgin Islands government reversed course and sued Epstein’s estate, accusing him of using the territory as a base for his international sex trafficking operation for decades. (CNN/Z-2)