© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Barclays’ then CEO Jes Staley arrives at 10 Downing Road in London, Britain january 11, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Picture
By Iain Withers and Kirstin Ridley
LONDON (Reuters) – Former Barclays (LON:) chief government Jes Staley allegedly mentioned Disney characters Snow White and Magnificence and the Beast in a sequence of emails with intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, who additionally allegedly shared pictures of younger ladies with the banker, in keeping with newly unsealed courtroom paperwork.
The alleged electronic mail exchanges between Staley and Epstein in 2009 and 2010 are contained in a lawsuit filed by america Virgin Isltaands in opposition to Staley’s former employer, U.S. financial institution JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:) & Co.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, the place Epstein owned two personal islands, alleges that JPMorgan facilitated and sustained Epstein’s sex-trafficking over twenty years.
The lawsuit claims Staley had an in depth private relationship with Epstein and that emails between the 2 “even counsel that Staley could have been concerned in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation”.
“That was enjoyable. Say hello to Snow White,” Staley emailed Epstein in July 2010, in keeping with filings on Wednesday with the U.S. District Courtroom in Manhattan.
” ()hat character would you want subsequent?” Epstein replied.
“Magnificence and the Beast,” Staley allegedly responded, to which Epstein replied: “Nicely one aspect is offered,” in keeping with the submitting.
Reuters couldn’t decide what “Snow White” or “Magnificence and the Beast” referred to.
A London-based lawyer for Staley, who isn’t a defendant within the lawsuit, declined to remark.
JPMorgan, which additionally declined to touch upon Thursday, has stated the case is “legally meritless and must be dismissed”.
Barclays declined to touch upon Thursday. In an announcement saying Staley’s resignation on Nov. 1, 2021, the British financial institution stated the preliminary conclusions of investigations by British monetary regulators into how Staley characterised his relationship with Epstein made “no findings that Mr Staley noticed, or was conscious of, any of Mr. Epstein’s alleged crimes.”
Britain’s Monetary Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority each declined to touch upon Thursday.
The regulators haven’t printed the outcomes of their investigation, though they’ve stated beforehand that it was targeted on how truthful Staley was about his ties to Epstein. Staley is contesting the findings.
In accordance with the lawsuit, Staley exchanged round 1,200 emails with Epstein from his JPMorgan electronic mail account between 2008 and 2012.
Staley allegedly wrote to Epstein on Nov 1, 2009, describing his relationship with Epstein as “profound”.
“I am within the sizzling tub with a glass of white wine … I owe you a lot. And I deeply recognize our friendship. I’ve few so profound.”
One month later, Staley allegedly wrote to Epstein to say how nice it had been to provide him “a protracted, heartfelt hug”, after which Epstein allegedly despatched Staley two footage of younger ladies.
Epstein was a consumer of JPMorgan from about 2000 to 2013. Staley served in a wide range of senior personal banking and wealth administration roles at JPMorgan till leaving the financial institution in 2013.
Epstein was discovered useless in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 whereas awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking prices.
A separate lawsuit introduced by Epstein victims in opposition to JPMorgan incorporates an allegation that Staley had “personally noticed” Epstein’s abuse of the named plaintiff, generally known as Jane Doe 1.
Staley isn’t a defendant in that case.