JPMorgan rejects claim that Dimon and Staley discussed Epstein: 'We believe this is false'

JPMorgan Chase connected Wednesday rejected allegations cited successful a caller report that CEO Jamie Dimon for years discussed the bank's then-customer Jeffrey Epstein — a sex predator — with Jes Staley, who astatine the clip was a apical JPMorgan executive.

"We judge this is false. There is nary grounds that immoderate specified communications ever occurred — thing successful the voluminous fig of documents reviewed and thing successful the astir twelve depositions taken, including that of our ain CEO," JPMorgan spokeswoman Patricia Wexler said successful a connection to CNBC.

"The 1 idiosyncratic who claims this to beryllium existent is presently accused of horrific acts and dishonesty – and hasn't been deposed," Wexler said, referring to Staley.

Wexler's comments came hours aft The Wall Street Journal published an nonfiction saying that Staley, successful ineligible documents, said that for years helium communicated with Dimon astir JPMorgan's concern with Epstein.

Epstein was a lawsuit of the slope from 1998 to 2013, keeping hundreds of millions of dollars connected deposit successful aggregate accounts.

"In the documents, Staley said that Dimon communicated with him erstwhile Epstein was arrested successful 2006 and successful 2008 erstwhile Epstein pleaded guilty" to a enactment transgression successful Florida, The Journal reported.

"Staley besides said that Dimon communicated with him assorted times astir whether to support Epstein arsenic a client done 2012," according to The Journal.

Epstein served much than a twelvemonth successful jailhouse for the Florida condemnation of soliciting enactment from a minor, a lawsuit that was wide reported astatine the time.

The Journal besides reported that it had seen documents indicating that Dimon and Staley had a gathering scheduled with Epstein connected March 2, 2010. JPMorgan told that paper that Dimon did not be that meeting, and that it was not connected the CEO's calendar.

Dimon was deposed connected Friday for 2 civilian lawsuits successful U.S. District Court successful Manhattan against the slope accusing JPMorgan of enabling and financially benefitting from enactment trafficking by Epstein.

One suit was filed by the authorities of the U.S. Virgin Islands, wherever Epstein maintained a residence connected a backstage island. The different ailment was filed by an Epstein accuser who is seeking to marque her ailment a class-action suit connected behalf of different women.

The suit against JPMorgan by an Epstein accuser alleges that Staley "knew without immoderate uncertainty that Epstein was trafficking and abusing girls."

JPMorgan has claimed successful a tribunal filing that Staley is the idiosyncratic identified, without being named successful that suit, arsenic utilizing "aggressive force" successful sexually assaulting an Epstein accuser.

Staley denies wrongdoing and besides denies having known astir Epstein's maltreatment of young women.

Deutsche Bank, which became Epstein's slope successful 2013 aft JPMorgan severed ties with him connected the heels of Staley's exit from the bank, earlier this period agreed to settee for $75 cardinal a lawsuit by different Epstein accuser. That woody volition payment different women who were victimized by Epstein during the clip helium was a Deutsche Bank customer.

JPMorgan, which denies immoderate wrongdoing, has alleged successful ineligible filings that Staley is liable for immoderate civilian liability arising from Epstein's usage of funds helium had connected deposit astatine that slope to nonstop young women to the Virgin Islands and elsewhere to beryllium abused by him and others.

Wexler past week said aft Dimon's deposition, "Our CEO reaffirmed aft his deposition that, arsenic helium has antecedently said, helium ne'er met with him, ne'er emailed him, does not callback ever discussing his accounts internally, and was not progressive successful immoderate decisions astir his account."

"There are implicit a cardinal pages of emails and different documents that person been produced successful this lawsuit and not 1 comes adjacent to adjacent suggesting that helium had immoderate relation successful decisions astir Epstein's accounts," Wexler said. 

"As we person said, we now cognize that Epstein's behaviour was monstrous, and his victims merit justice. In hindsight, immoderate relation with him was a mistake and we regret it, but these suits are misdirected arsenic we did not assistance him perpetrate his heinous crimes." 

Epstein, 66, killed himself successful a Manhattan jailhouse successful August 2019, a period aft national authorities arrested and charged him with kid enactment trafficking.

Dimon has expressed regret that JPMorgan did concern with Epstein

"I americium truthful bittersweet that we had immoderate narration to that antheral whatsoever," the CEO told Bloomberg successful an interrogation May 11.

"You know, we had apical lawyers evaluating, from the [U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission] enforcement, the [Department of Justice], you know, and obviously, had we known past what we cognize today, we would person done things differently," Dimon said.

–CNBC's Dawn Giel contributed to this report.

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