Bryan Lauds ‘Spirit of Unity,’ ‘Collaboration’ as Legislature Frees Up Epstein Funds
On Monday, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced a $6 million settlement with Pafford Medical Services and expressed support for more than $22 million in retroactive pay, as the 36th Legislature weighed tapping into the Jeffrey Epstein-related settlement funds to cover urgent expenses and government arrears.
2025-04-15 19:17:40 - VI News Staff
“It was real heartening to kind of huddle at Seatrade with members of the Legislature and quickly hash out some of the issues that we have before us, and we find that we generally tend to agree more than we disagree,” he said. “And even in the things we disagree with — we’re all adults. We should be able to disagree better.”
The government initially contracted Pafford in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the company continued bolstering the territory’s health care infrastructure through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Rumors that the company might pull out of the territory swirled in May 2023 amid reports that the government owed the company $34 million. Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion told the Source at the time that the delayed payments were caused by an internal audit process triggered by the use of federal funds.
Pafford announced last August that it would cease all of its operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, citing $10 million in unpaid bills. While lauding Pafford’s contribution to health care in the territory, government officials mostly shrugged in response to the departure.
“At the end of the day, the ambulances will run in an emergency and patients who need critical care will have access to that care,” Government House Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. told the Source at the time.
Later that month, the government paid Pafford $2.5 million — largely to cover services the company rendered to the Caribbean Kidney Center during the 2024 fiscal year.
On Monday, Bryan said the agreement was important because “it not only resolves the obligation, but it also saves our government — and, ultimately, you taxpayers — nearly $2 million to be negotiated off of this settlement.” Bryan said.
“So it’s a savings for us, and … I really feel good about paying, because Pafford was there when we really needed them most, and we really wanted to pay them within the money that we have,” he said.
The bill lawmakers passed Monday night also freed up $22.5 million in Epstein settlement money to pay retroactive wages owed to survivors of deceased retired government employees, retired government employees and active government employees by no later than May 30.