Former JP Morgan exec Jes Staley to be deposed next week over Epstein ties

Former J.P. Morgan executive Jes Staley will be deposed next week over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier who killed himself in jail after being arrested for sex trafficking in 2019. 

Reuters reported on Thursday that attorneys for J.P. Morgan said during a hearing that they would question Staley next Thursday and Friday. 

Staley, who also previously served as CEO of Barclays before stepping down from his position in 2021 amid an internal investigation about his ties to Epstein, reportedly has acknowledged that he was friends with Epstein but has denied that he knew of Epstein’s crimes and said he regrets having contact with him. 

Barclays said its investigation “makes no findings” that Staley saw or was aware of Epstein’s actions. The probe scrutinized how Staley characterized his relationship with Epstein to Barclays and the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which conducted the investigation along with the Prudential Regulation Authority. 

Reuters reported the J.P. Morgan has filed a lawsuit to make Staley return eight years’ worth of compensation and reimburse the company for damages it might take on from other lawsuits. The company has accused him of “intentional and outrageous conduct” in not being open about his ties to Epstein. 

The Hill has reached out to Staley’s attorney for comment. 

Reuters reported that Judge Jed Rakoff pushed back the trial date for the case from Sept. 5 to Oct. 23 to consolidate cases from an anonymous Epstein victim and the U.S. Virgin Islands against J.P. Morgan with the bank’s suit against Staley. 

The Associated Press has reported that the last time of contact between Epstein and Staley was in 2015, shortly before Barclays hired him. Staley and his wife visited Epstein’s private island for lunch. 

Epstein was facing multiple charges for sex trafficking of minors at the time he was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death was caused by suicide by hanging.