A former JP Morgan Chase Bank executive accused of having a «deep friendship» with Jeffrey Epstein has asked a federal judge to throw out the bank’s lawsuit against him over his ties to the convicted sex offender.
The bank sued Jes Staley in March saying he should be held accountable for the financial penalties he faces from lawsuits alleging the bank facilitated Epstein’s sex-trafficking venture.
The lawsuits, which were filed by the US Virgin Islands and a woman identified as «Jane Doe 1,» allege that the financial institution turned a «blind eye» to Epstein’s conduct, adding that the bank failed to comply with federal laws for years while providing services to and profiting from Epstein’s business.
It is alleged that human smuggling “was the core business of the accounts Epstein maintained at JP Morgan,” according to the US Virgin Islands complaint.
Both lawsuits seek monetary damages.
In court documents, Staley said the Wall Street giant is using him as a «public relations shield» in its legal battle over working with Epstein and trying to «deflect blame» for his failures.
Staley, according to court documents, said he had no decision-making authority over Epstein’s accounts, adding that the bank has declared no «viable» claims against him.
“Whether or not JPMorgan is liable to Doe and the USVI remains to be seen. What is certain is that the bank cannot treat Mr. Staley as its public relations shield by asserting claims that lack legal (or factual) basis,” the court documents state.
Staley asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit because the bank «waited more than 10 years to file these claims» and is outside the statute of limitations.
“After all, numerous JPMorgan employees knew that Mr. Staley had a relationship with Epstein, and the bank had access to communications from Mr. Staley during his tenure that JPMorgan now alleges reflect that relationship,” the court documents allege. .
Lawyers for JP Morgan Chase Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution and committed suicide in 2019 at a Manhattan correctional facility where he was being held on federal sex trafficking charges.
Staley spent more than 30 years at JP Morgan Chase Bank, then went on to work at Barclays; Staley resigned as Barclays chief executive in 2021 after an investigation into his relationship with Epstein.
In February, redacted portions of the lawsuit filed by the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein had a home, showed that Staley and Epstein exchanged approximately 1,200 emails between 2008 and 2012.
“These communications show a close personal relationship and ‘deep’ friendship between the two men and even suggest that Staley may have been involved in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation,” the USVI said in court documents in February.
In one instance, Staley emailed Epstein in July 2010: “Maybe you’re being tracked? That was fun. Say hello to Snow White.»
Epstein responded, «Which character would you like next?» to which Staley followed up with «Beauty and the Beast.» Epstein then replied: «well, one side is available.»
When JP Morgan Chase Bank filed its lawsuit against Staley in March, the bank said he was the «powerful financial executive» who sexually assaulted Jane Doe 1. The anonymous woman alleged in her lawsuit against the bank that «one of the friends of Epstein used aggressive force.» in her sexual assault against her and informed Jane Doe 1 that he had Epstein’s permission to do whatever he wanted with her”, but had not named the executive “out of fear”.
Staley called the allegations «baseless» in court papers this week.