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**Summary:**

Senator Ron Wyden is pushing for the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s financial activities, revealing that four major banks flagged over $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions only *after* Epstein’s 2019 arrest. These transactions included art purchases, payments to Epstein, and payments to numerous women. Wyden believes this financial data is crucial to understanding the extent and funding of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network, especially as the Trump administration resists releasing related information seized by the FBI.

**News Article:**

**Senator Wyden Demands Release of Epstein Financial Records, Reveals Banks Flagged $1.5 Billion in Transactions After Arrest**

**WASHINGTON D.C.** – Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is intensifying his investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s financial network, demanding the public release of documents that he says could hold crucial information about the disgraced financier’s sex-trafficking operation. Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has revealed that four major banks belatedly flagged over $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions linked to Epstein *only after* his 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges.

According to Wyden’s office, the flagged transactions included thousands of wire transfers related to art purchases and sales involving wealthy individuals, payments made directly to Epstein, and payments made to numerous women. Some individual transactions were as high as $100 million. A report from JPMorgan Chase revealed Epstein had accounts at two Russian banks, before they were subject to US sanctions. These types of transactions are expected to be flagged by banks, to uncover illicit activities.

“We felt from the beginning this was a follow-the-money case,” Senator Wyden said in an interview. “This horrific sex-trafficking operation cost Epstein a lot of money, and he had to get that money from somewhere.”

Wyden’s investigation, which has been ongoing for three years, has taken on added urgency due to what he describes as the Trump administration’s reluctance to release information seized by the FBI from Epstein’s properties and collected from financial institutions.

Wyden said the belated nature of the banks’ reporting raises serious questions about the effectiveness of financial oversight and the potential for complicity in enabling Epstein’s criminal activities. While the Trump administration seeks to move on from Epstein, Wyden joins a growing chorus of voices, including some of the former president’s own supporters, who believe crucial details about Epstein and his network remain hidden.

The call for transparency underscores the ongoing debate about the scope and depth of Epstein’s network of powerful associates and whether the full extent of his crimes has been brought to light. Senator Wyden’s push for the release of these financial records is aimed at ensuring accountability and providing closure for victims of Epstein’s abuse.

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