A new court filing alleges JP Morgan Chase executives were aware of sex abuse and trafficking allegations against its then-client Jeffrey Epstein, several years before the financial institution cut ties.
JP Morgan Sues Former Executive Jes Staley Over Ties With Sex Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein (Photo by: Times news)
JP Morgan Executives Knew About Sex Abuse
The close ties between Staley and Epstein have been at the core of two suits claiming the bank knew or should have known about Epstein’s crimes and kept him on as a client anyway. But Staley himself was not named as a defendant in either a proposed class action brought by Epstein victims, or a separate lawsuit brought by the US Virgin Islands.
JPMorgan stressed in its filing that it was still denying the claims in both suits against it. The bank has moved to dismiss both suits and is set to argue its motions on Monday before US District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan.
Both the victims’ suit, filed by a Jane Doe plaintiff, and the USVI allege JPMorgan facilitated Epstein’s crimes by allowing him to use his bank accounts to finance his sex trafficking operation, but the bank contends the suits don’t adequately allege that it had knowledge of its client’s illegal activity.
The Doe suit alleged that Staley “personally observed” Epstein’s sexual abuse on a number of occasions. Unsavory emails between Staley and Epstein, including photos of women and references to Disney princesses, were recently cited in the USVI’s suit, revealing the depths of the banker’s relationship with the sex offender.
