Sen. Wyden Says Banks Failed to Flag $250M Linked to Epstein — Reporter’s Unaired 60 Minutes Segment Raises Questions

Two months before her May departure from 60 Minutes, correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi was reportedly working on an unaired segment examining Jeffrey Epstein's banking ties — reporting that, according to a new Senate analysis, raises fresh questions about how major U.S. banks monitored his accounts.

What the Wyden Report Alleges

On Aug. 4, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑Ore.) released a report alleging that Deutsche Bank failed to timely notify U.S. authorities that more than $250 million in suspicious transactions were tied to Epstein. The report also names JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America as having facilitated or enabled questionable financial activity connected to the disgraced financier, Bloomberg and other outlets reported.

Wyden's office says some of the funds moved through these accounts were used to pay women in Russia and parts of Eastern Europe.

Banks' Responses

Representatives for Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America did not immediately respond to requests for comment from People. Bank of America spokesperson Abbey Collins told Bloomberg the bank "takes our legal and regulatory responsibilities seriously" and said it "did not facilitate wrongdoing." Deutsche Bank declined to comment to the outlet.

Jeffrey EpsteinCredit: Department of Justice

JPMorgan told Bloomberg it began reporting suspicious transactions connected to Epstein to regulators in 2002 and later supplemented those filings after the full scope of his crimes became public in 2019.

Alfonsi’s Unbroadcast Reporting

Wyden's report says Alfonsi, 54, was collaborating with the senator's office on a 60 Minutes piece about Epstein's relationships with Wall Street banks and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Alfonsi was fired from CBS in May; neither her interview with Wyden nor the reporting she had done on Epstein has aired since her departure.

CBS News responded by defending its ongoing coverage of the Epstein story. A spokesperson told People the network is "proud of our aggressive and extensive reporting on the Epstein scandal," adding that pieces are aired "when they are ready" and calling suggestions of deliberate suppression "categorically false."

Sharyn AlfonsiCredit: Jai Lennard/CBS

CBS has published multiple original investigations into Epstein, including a July exclusive describing how he negotiated a $25 million payout through his global banking contacts, as well as interviews with survivors and reporting around his disputed death.

Context: The Epstein Case

Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on charges that he sexually abused girls as young as 14. While awaiting trial, he died by suicide on Aug. 10, 2019, in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. In the years since, court documents and released records — often called the "Epstein files" — have continued to surface, offering additional details about his activities and financial networks.

Alfonsi’s Firing And New Role

CBS has said Alfonsi's termination was not related to her Epstein coverage. Her dismissal followed public criticism she made of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss after Weiss pulled Alfonsi's 60 Minutes piece on CECOT, a high‑security prison in El Salvador where Venezuelan detainees deported by the Trump administration were held. Alfonsi warned the pullback "sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom," saying it could penalize journalists for "refusing to sanitize accurate reporting."

On Aug. 3, Alfonsi was named Journalist in Residence at Columbia Journalism School for the 2026–27 academic year, where she will work with students through lectures, workshops and special events.

Note: This article summarizes allegations from Sen. Wyden's report and public statements from the institutions involved. Investigations and legal processes related to the matters discussed are ongoing.