WASHINGTON — Newly released Department of Justice documents show a 2014 email exchange involving Jeffrey Epstein, the former first lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a billionaire real estate developer, in which a request was made to arrange a yacht for a vacation on behalf of then–U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.
The emails, part of a recent disclosure of Epstein-related records, show Cecile de Jongh, wife of then–U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. John de Jongh Jr., asking Epstein to help arrange a yacht for Manchin and a group of 22 people during a holiday trip to the Virgin Islands.
In a December 16, 2014, email with the subject line “Favor,” de Jongh wrote that Manchin would be in the Virgin Islands over the holidays, renting a villa, and that the group wanted “one day of boating” but was having difficulty finding a vessel large enough.
Epstein forwarded the request the same morning to Andrew Farkas, a billionaire real estate developer and associate of Epstein, asking whether he might have access to a suitable yacht. Farkas responded by questioning who Manchin was and expressing hostility toward de Jongh, referencing past disputes.
Epstein replied that he was “just passsing the message.” When Farkas again asked who Manchin was and whether Epstein wanted the request handled, Epstein responded dismissively, writing, “i could give a shit. he is on the transportaion committee.”
Later that day, Farkas pushed back, asking why Manchin could not arrange his own transportation.
On December 29, 2014, de Jongh followed up with Epstein, writing that she assumed Farkas had not responded and that she would seek another option for the January 2 outing. Epstein replied simply: “Right.”
Manchin, a Democrat, served as West Virginia’s U.S. Senator from 2010 to 2025 after a long career in state politics, including as Governor and Secretary of State.
The release of the emails comes amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s extensive ties to political figures, wealthy donors and government officials, particularly in the U.S. Virgin Islands where Epstein owned private islands and maintained a residence.
According to court filings cited by Bloomberg, CNBC and other outlets, Epstein paid school tuition for the children of Gov. de Jongh and the former first lady, including a $25,000 bill for Skidmore College sent by Cecile de Jongh to Epstein in 2011. JPMorgan Chase & Co. disclosed those payments in filings connected to litigation over whether the bank facilitated Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
Those filings and related lawsuits allege that Cecile de Jongh, who worked as an office manager for Epstein’s companies in the territory, assisted him in securing student visas and work licenses for young women and advised him on how to influence local laws, including sex offender monitoring rules, as reported by CNBC.
The bank, JPMorgan Chase, alleged Cecile de Jongh was “Epstein’s primary conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI (U.S. Virgin Islands) government.”
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from a minor in Florida and became a registered sex offender in 2009.
Business Insider has reported that a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Epstein survivors alleges he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to U.S. Virgin Islands officials through salaries, tuition payments and donations in exchange for favorable treatment and lax enforcement. The lawsuit names both John and Cecile de Jongh among more than 100 defendants. The de Jonghs did not respond to requests for comment at the time of that reporting.
Andrew Farkas, the recipient of Epstein’s forwarded yacht request, is a prominent New York real estate developer and founder of Island Capital. The New York Times has reported that Farkas owned a marina with Epstein and has been a major political donor, particularly to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
JPMorgan has denied wrongdoing in the Epstein-related litigation but has agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements in separate cases brought by victims and by the U.S. Virgin Islands government. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in custody.
The newly released emails offer another glimpse into how Epstein functioned as a conduit between political figures, wealthy associates and government insiders, as investigators and the public continue to examine the scope of his influence. The documents are presented to illustrate the scope of the communications and relationships described and do not constitute evidence of illegal or improper conduct by any individual mentioned.
Manchin’s ties to Virgin Islands Government Medicaid System
Sen. Joe Manchin’s connection to the U.S. Virgin Islands dates back to his tenure as West Virginia Governor, when he worked with then–Gov. John de Jongh Jr. on modernizing the territory’s Medicaid system. According to the St. Thomas Source, Manchin first discussed the Virgin Islands’ Medicaid challenges with de Jongh during a Democratic Governors Association gathering in 2008. De Jongh later said Manchin offered to help the territory gain access to West Virginia’s upgraded Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). Officials from the Virgin Islands had visited West Virginia to review the Medicaid system, as reported by St. Thomas Source on August 17, 2009.
The partnership was formalized with a memorandum of understanding in 2011, and the MMIS system went live on August 1, 2013, managed by Molina Medicaid Solutions. West Virginia and the Virgin Islands shared a single MMIS contractor, with Molina managing both systems out of servers located in West Virginia.
The system processed Medicaid claims, provided data access, and supported program administration. Officials said it allowed for expanded coverage of Medicaid recipients and introduced operational improvements, including the Medical Home care model, as reported by St. Thomas Source on August 1, 2013.
According to the Virgin Islands Daily News on March 24, 2018, the MMIS system continued under a $26 million contract signed in 2016 by Gov. Kenneth Mapp, running through 2022. The system managed claims for roughly 25,000 enrollees and processed approximately $167 million over five years. While the software was shared with West Virginia, the two territories’ data remained separate.
Manchin traveled to the Virgin Islands over the Christmas holiday in 2014. This background coincides with the time period in which a yacht request involving Manchin was forwarded through associates of Jeffrey Epstein, potentially providing additional context behind his presence in the territory at the time.
