Jes Staley, who served as the lead private banker at J.P. Morgan until 2013, enjoyed stays at Epstein's private island in the Caribbean and allegedly visited the pedophile at his NYC mansion while he was under house arrest in Florida.
Jeffrey Epstein exchanged photos of young women and lent out his private properties to the private banker who advocated for him at J.P. Morgan following his conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, according to a new court document.
Jes Staley, who served as the lead private banker at J.P. Morgan until 2013, enjoyed stays at Epstein's private island in the Caribbean and allegedly visited the pedophile at his New York City mansion while Epstein was under house arrest in Florida, says the filing obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
The filing, a lawsuit by the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands against JP Morgan Chase, alleges that during one visit to Little St. James, Epstein's private property in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Staley sent an email that read: "So when all hell breaks lo[o]se, and the world is crumbling, I will come here, and be at peace. Presently, I’m in the hot tub with a glass of white wine. This is an amazing place. Truly amazing. Next time, we’re here together. I owe you much. And I deeply appreciate our friendship. I have few so profound."
Little St. James is one of the places where Epstein allegedly carried out his sexual abuse of underage girls.
Staley also sent Epstein an email in December of 2009, the lawsuit alleges, which read "“I realize the danger in sending this email. But it was great to be able, today, to give you, in New York City, a long heartfelt, hug.”
Epstein was under house arrest at his Palm Beach mansion at that time, and replied by sending a photo of a young woman, according to the court filings, and writing: “you were with Larry, and I had to put up with . . .”
The court document says that Staley responded to that email by writing: "don’t tell me a French wine.”
An alleged 2010 exchange between the men is also included in the filing, in which Staley allegedly writes: "Maybe they’re tracking u? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White.”
When Epstein responded: [W]hat character would you like next?” Staley replied: “Beauty and the Beast."
Epstein replied to that by saying: "well one side is available.”
According to the court filing those are just a few of the 1,200 emails that Staley allegedly exchanged with Epstein, all of which were sent or received using his J.P Morgan email address.
"These communications show a close personal relationship and 'profound' friendship between the two men and even suggest that Staley may have been involved in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation," the court filing alleges.
FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT DETAILING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JES STALEY AND JEFFREY EPSTEIN
Most of the new claims come from the less redacted version of the first amended complaint the Government of the United States Virgin Islands filed as part of its ongoing lawsuit against J.P. Morgan. Staley is not listed as a defendant in that case.
Staley allegedly worked closely on the Epstein account, according to the court filing, backed the pedophile even after he pleaded guilty to one count of solicitation of prostitution and one count of solicitation of a minor for prostitution in 2008.
The court filing lists a select number of communications between the pair, including:
- July 2008 - "Epstein ... advised Staley in connection with Staley’s salary negotiations at JP Morgan."
- Dec. 30, 2008 - "Epstein and Staley discussed via email Staley’s visit to Epstein’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein wrote that he would not be home the following Sunday, but that Staley was welcome to use the house. Staley replied that he would instead make arrangements to visit Epstein in Palm Beach in early January. On January 8, 2009—around the time of Staley’s scheduled visit to Palm Beach—Epstein wired $2,000 from his JP Morgan account to a woman with an Eastern European surname."
- Aug.27 - 29, 2009 - "Staley communicated via email to Epstein that he would be in London in a week. Epstein inquired whether Staley would need anything while in London, and Staley replied, “Yep.” On August 31, 2009, Epstein wired $3,000 from his JP Morgan account to the same Eastern European woman Epstein paid in January 2009."
- Dec. 20, 2009 - "Epstein sent an email to Staley that was blank except for a picture of a young woman."
- Jan. 15, 2010 - "Staley emailed Epstein, referring to Little St. James, 'Arrived at your harbor. Someday, we have to do this together.'"
"JP Morgan knew—including at the highest level of the bank—that Epstein was an extremely high-risk client. Between 2005 and 2013, there were myriad reports that Epstein sexually abused women and girls," reads the filing. "In 2008, Epstein pled guilty to sexual offenses and registered as a sex offender. Despite JP Morgan’s acknowledgement that it needed to closely monitor Epstein, JP Morgan ignored numerous red flags and failed to comply with federal banking regulations until years later after JP Morgan was no longer benefiting from Epstein’s business."
The filing also says: "JP Morgan’s decision to allow Jes Staley to serve as an investigator and decision-maker with respect to Epstein’s accounts, despite glaring red flags regarding Staley’s relationship with Epstein, was a blatant failure of compliance."
J.P. Morgan has moved to have the case dismissed in court filings.
Just a few months after Staley left J.P. Morgan in 2013, the bank terminated its relationship with Epstein according to the court filing.
Between 1998 and 2013, the bank "serviced approximately fifty-five Epstein-related accounts collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars," the court document says.
The lawsuit claims that large amounts of money being were being withdrawn and wired during that time period, including:
- Over $1 million, collectively, to 20 individuals who "were victims of trafficking and sexual assault in Little St. James, New York, and/or other Epstein properties.
- "More than $775,000" in cash withdrawals between 2003 and 2013.
- "Payments drawn from JP Morgan accounts of nearly $1.5 million to known recruiters, including to the MC2 modeling agency."
- $150,000 to a "private investigative firm."
- "More than $600,0000 to Jane Doe 1, a woman who—according to news reports contained in JP Morgan’s due diligence reports—Epstein purchased at the age of 14."
- "Hyperion Air, Inc.—the Epstein-controlled company that owned Epstein’s private jet—issued over $547,000 in checks payable to cash purportedly for 'fuel expenses when traveling to foreign countries.'"
- "Between January 2012 and June 2013, Hyperion converted more than $120,000 into foreign currency. Many of these cash withdrawals either exceeded the $10,000 reporting threshold or were seemingly structured to avoid triggering the reporting requirement."
- Payments of "$29,464.66 to three young women, including two known victims, and over $20,000 to a company called Phoenix Realty Home Inc." through Epstein's "purported charitable organization," the C.O.U.Q. Foundation
- "Enhanced Education fund to pay $124,232."
LETTERS ROGATORY TO BARCLAY'S BANK SEEKING RECORDS OF JES STALEY RELATIONSHIP WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN
It is unclear what professional relationship, if any, the men had after Staley left J.P. Morgan, but a letters rogatory issued by the Virgin Islands to Barclay's Bank, where Staley worked as group chief executive, requested that the bank provide them with:
- "All Communications between James E Staley and Jeffrey Epstein and/or any Epstein Agent."
- "All Documents reflecting or regarding James E Staley 3 relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and/or Your investigation of their relationship, including, but not limited to, all Documents You produced to any regulatory, administrative, or law enforcement agency."
- "All Documents, including but not limited to calendars invoices travel receipts itineraries, photographs, or videos reflecting or related to any meetings between James E Staley and Jeffrey Epstein or travel by James E Staley to Little St James or the Virgin Islands."
- "All Documents reflecting or related to any Communications by Jeffrey Epstein to any employee, agent or officer of the Bank regarding James E Staley including but not limited to, the decision to hire James E Staley."
Those documents were filed in the Virgin Islands on Oct. 12, 2021 and sent to the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
On Nov, 1, 2021, Staley stepped down as CEO of Barclay's Bank.
"It has been very well known I had a professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It goes back to 2000 when I was asked to run the JP Morgan private bank and he was already a client when I joined the private bank," Staley said in a statement at the time. "The relationship was maintained during my time at JP Morgan but as I left JP Morgan the relationship tapered off quite significantly. Obviously I thought I knew him well and I didn't. For sure, with hindsight with what we know now, I deeply regret having any relationship with Jeffrey."
There have already been motions for two letters rogatory issued in the lawsuit against J.P. Morgan. The Virgin Islands is looking to depose two of Epstein's former employees, Miles and Cathy Alexander. The couple served as the property managers on Little St. James for eight years.
J.P Morgan and a lawyer for Mr. Staley declined to comment on the claims made in the less revised first amended complaint.
