--- alias: - David A. Bornn - David A. Bornn, Esq. - Attorney David Bornn category: Law Enforcement & Legal created: 2026-09-25 location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands relations: - fn: 2 role: partner start: 2017-01-04 type: employed_by with: '[[Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin]]' - fn: 1 role: chief legal counsel to the Governor start: 2019-01 type: employed_by with: '[[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]]' - fn: 1 role: of counsel, Washington, D.C. type: employed_by with: '[[Winston & Strawn]]' summary: St. Thomas lawyer, partner of Epstein's territorial counsel Erika Kellerhals from 2017, then Governor Albert Bryan's chief legal counsel, whom Epstein's circle contacted in 2019 and who relayed Kellerhals's inquiry to Attorney General Denise George. tags: - Person - DavidBornn - VirginIslands - AlbertBryan - JeffreyEpstein - RevolvingDoor - GovernmentCapture updated: 2026-09-25 --- David A. Bornn is a [U.S. Virgin Islands](/places/us-virgin-islands/) lawyer who practiced corporate, real estate, government relations and tax incentive law on [St. Thomas](/places/st-thomas/) for more than four decades, became a partner in January 2017 of Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin, the firm of [Jeffrey Epstein's](/people/jeffrey-epstein/) territorial counsel [Erika Kellerhals](/people/erika-kellerhals/), and served as chief legal counsel to Governor [Albert Bryan](/people/albert-bryan/) from 2019. Nine days after Bryan's inauguration, [Cecile de Jongh](/people/cecile-de-jongh/) told Epstein she would speak with "David Bornn, Albert's legal counsel," about a cease-and-desist matter. According to notes of a 2023 [Federal Bureau of Investigation](/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation/) interview, Bornn later called Attorney General [Denise George](/people/denise-george/) to relay that Kellerhals wanted to know what George was investigating in the territory's case against Epstein's estate. He later joined Winston & Strawn, whose profile of him describes his "inner knowledge of the intentions and needs of the Bryan/Roach Administration."[^1][^2][^3][^4] ### Practice and the Kellerhals Firm Bornn received a bachelor's degree from Trinity College in 1974 and a law degree from the Villanova University in 1981, and is admitted to practice only in the Virgin Islands. In private practice he specialized in "corporate, real estate, government relations, local and federal administrative matters, trusts and estates, employment relations, and USVI tax incentive programs." He is a past co-chairman of the Ethics and Grievance Committee of the Virgin Islands Bar Association.[^1] On January 4, 2017 Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin announced that "David A. Bornn, Esq. has become a Partner of the Firm," and that it would operate a branch office from the Bornn Building on Norre Gade in [Charlotte Amalie](/places/charlotte-amalie/). Kellerhals had presented Epstein to the [Economic Development Commission](/organizations/economic-development-commission/) at its November 15, 2012 hearing on the tax-incentive application of [Southern Trust Company](/organizations/southern-trust-company/), at which he was sworn in by the commission's legal counsel, [Henry Smock](/people/henry-smock/). Delegate [Stacey Plaskett](/people/stacey-plaskett/), the commission's general counsel from 2007 to 2014, had also worked for Kellerhals.[^2][^3][^5] ### Chief Legal Counsel Bryan was inaugurated on January 7, 2019, and named Bornn his chief legal counsel. According to Bornn's firm profile, in that role he "managed all law firms serving the USVI administration," directed "much of the work undertaken for the Office of the Governor, the VI Public Finance Authority, and other governmental agencies" by those outside firms, and was part of the territory's congressional and federal relations team and of the working groups that sought federal and private funding after the 2017 hurricanes and during the COVID-19 crisis.[^1][^6] On January 16, 2019 Epstein wrote to Cecile de Jongh, the office manager of his territorial companies and wife of former Governor [John de Jongh](/people/john-de-jongh/), in a chain that reads in part: "hurricane repair still ongoing ie co[n]ne[c]ting new septic" and "Albert promised!" De Jongh answered at 5:06 a.m.: "I'll speak with David Bornn, Albert's legal counsel." Epstein wrote, "I will call Albert in order to be respectful." At 12:23 p.m. de Jongh wrote, "I spoke to Erika this morning and I will be speaking with David Bo[r]n[n] as well," and at 2:17 p.m.: "I spoke to David Bornn briefly. He asked that I send him the C&D and that he will get back to me after 2PM." The documents do not identify the cease-and-desist. The territory's Coastal Zone Management program had issued a stop-work order on Epstein's [Great St. James](/places/great-st-james/) construction on December 21, 2018, in the last weeks of the administration of Governor [Kenneth Mapp](/people/kenneth-mapp/).[^4][^7] ### The Estate Investigation George, whom Bryan appointed Attorney General in 2019, filed the territory's civil enforcement suit against Epstein's estate on January 15, 2020 and retained the law firm [Motley Rice](/organizations/motley-rice/). In her October 2, 2023 interview with the FBI, released by the [Justice Department](/organizations/department-of-justice/) in January 2026, George said that estate employees "had nondisclosure agreements and were informed if questioned by law enforcement to say nothing and alert Kellerhals." When Motley Rice began interviewing estate employees, she received a call from Bornn, described in the FBI notes as Bryan's chief legal counsel and a former employee of Kellerhals, relaying that Kellerhals wanted to know what George was investigating. George replied that it was none of Kellerhals's business. She said Bryan told her to settle the case for 80 million dollars with Smock as mediator; the estate settled on November 30, 2022 for more than 105 million dollars. Bornn has not been charged with any offense, and no public response by him to George's account was found.[^3][^8] ### Winston & Strawn After four years in the Bryan administration, which began its second term in January 2023, Bornn joined Winston & Strawn, whose website carried the name Winston Taylor in 2026, as of counsel in its Washington office, practicing under the supervision of members of the District of Columbia Bar while his own application was pending. The firm continued to represent the territorial government. His profile states that he "provides a measure of continuity and inner knowledge of the intentions and needs of the Bryan/Roach Administration as he assists the firm with its continuing representation of the USVI Government and maintains access to key local players within the Virgin Islands Government and the [Virgin Islands Legislature](/organizations/legislature-of-the-virgin-islands/)," that he "is familiar with all Virgin Islands Government department and agency heads, sub-heads, and many of the rank-and-file civil service workers key to achieving efficient results for clients," and that he "continues to enjoy deep respect from the Governor and other senior officials serving in the current administration, as well as those in the Virgin Islands political establishment."[^1] [^1]: Winston & Strawn LLP (Winston Taylor LLP), "David A. Bornn," attorney profile, accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.winston.com/en/professionals/bornn-david-a [^2]: Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin PLLC, "Welcome David Bornn," January 4, 2017, captured August 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190820054157/https://www.kellfer.com/blog/2017/01/04/welcome-david-bornn/ [^3]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026 (FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview with Denise George; Plaskett's employment with Kellerhals). https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html [^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01026946, DataSet 9, email chain between Jeffrey Epstein and Cecile de Jongh, January 16, 2019 (duplicate EFTA01026933). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01026946.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01026933.pdf [^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02812344, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), Exhibit 290, ECF No. 245-15 (filed July 25, 2023): Economic Development Commission, Public Hearing transcript, November 15, 2012, pp. 1-2, 6-9. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02812344.pdf [^6]: "Governor Albert Bryan Jr." Biography submitted to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, hearing of March 24, 2021. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II00/20210324/111384/HHRG-117-II00-Bio-BryanJrA-20210324.pdf [^7]: "DPNR planning visit to Epstein's island." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* 2019 (December 21, 2018 stop-work order). https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/dpnr-planning-visit-to-epstein-s-island/ [^8]: "U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate of Jeffrey Epstein and Co-Defendants for Over $105 Million." *Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice,* December 1, 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/