NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) on Wednesday stated it shouldn’t be held accountable for a former high govt’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in a lawsuit accusing the biggest U.S. financial institution of facilitating its former consumer’s intercourse trafficking enterprise.
In a submitting in Manhattan federal courtroom, JPMorgan stated emails between former govt Jes Staley and Epstein supplied no foundation for the U.S. Virgin Islands, which filed the lawsuit, to counsel Staley may “detect Epstein’s intercourse trafficking.”
The financial institution additionally stated there was no proof Staley’s private journey to the islands or alleged inappropriate emails had been a part of his job, and that even assuming Staley helped “direct” Epstein’s intercourse trafficking “his conduct can be far past his remit as a JPMC worker.”
In in search of the dismissal of the “misdirected and poor” lawsuit, JPMorgan stated there was no rationalization for the way it may need recognized about and benefited from Epstein’s misconduct by having him as a consumer from 2000 to 2013.
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Attorneys for the U.S. Virgin Islands didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Staley just isn’t a defendant.
Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 whereas awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking expenses.
JPMorgan’s dismissal movement got here one week after a courtroom submitting stated Staley and Epstein had exchanged about 1,200 emails between 2008 and 2012, together with some about younger girls that contained sexual content material.
Epstein had pleaded responsible in 2008 to a Florida state prostitution cost.
Staley, a former JPMorgan non-public banking chief, has acknowledged having a friendship with Epstein however denied figuring out about his alleged crimes.
After leaving JPMorgan, Staley turned chief govt of Barclays Plc (BARC.L) however resigned in November 2021 amid a dispute with British monetary regulators inspecting his ties to Epstein.
The U.S. Virgin Islands sued JPMorgan for unspecified damages in December 2022, saying the financial institution ought to have recognized about Epstein’s misconduct on a non-public island he owned there.
Epstein’s victims are additionally suing JPMorgan and Deutsche Financial institution AG (DBKGn.DE), the place Epstein was a consumer from 2013 to 2018. Each banks are in search of dismissals.
The case is Authorities of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Financial institution NA, U.S. District Courtroom, Southern District of New York, No. 22-10904.
Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Modifying by Tom Hogue
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