Newly unsealed passages of a federal lawsuit reveal that more than 20 of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking victims were paid through JPMorgan accounts, with the megabank’s former top executives privately discussing abuse allegations surrounding the late predator as far back as 2006, Law & Crime reports.
The accusations were previously hidden under redactions when the Virgin Islands government filed its lawsuit accusing JP Morgan Chase of “complicity” in Epstein’s crimes.
The less-redacted complaint now states that JPMorgan not only knew about Epstein but also his fellow accused predator, French modeling scout Jean Luc Brunel.
JPMorgan has tried to dismiss the lawsuit, calling it a “meritless” reach into “deeper pockets” since the Virgin Islands’ more than $100 million settlement with Epstein’s estate.
The unsealed passages also discuss Epstein’s “close personal relationship” with JPMorgan’s then-senior executive Jes Staley, who later became CEO of Barclays and resigned amid scrutiny over his ties to Epstein.
“Between 2008 and 2012, Staley exchanged approximately 1,200 emails with Epstein from his JP Morgan email account,” the lawsuit alleges.
“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.”
In July 2010, Staley sent an email to Epstein, saying: “Maybe they’re tracking u? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White,” according to the lawsuit.
“[W]hat character would you like next?” Epstein responded.
Staley answered “Beauty and the Beast,” and Epstein replied: “well one side is available.”
The lawsuit claims that Epstein’s victims received payments between 2003 and 2013 in excess of $1 million collectively, Law & Crime notes.
Epstein also withdrew more than $775,000 in cash over that time frame from JP Morgan accounts, especially significant as Epstein was known to pay for “massages,” or sexual encounters, in cash.
The Virgin Islands government claims that JPMorgan’s Global Corporate Security Division flagged several newspaper articles that detail the indictment of Jeffrey Epstein in Florida on felony charges of soliciting underage prostitutes as early as 2006.
In an internal email, JPMorgan’s risk management division discussed fresh allegations against Epstein in 2010.
