JPMorgan and the Jeffrey Epstein Forever Wars

Wall Street Journal ^ | March 17, 2023 | Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.

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As if the banking industry doesn’t have enough problems, there’s also Jes Staley.

The former chief executive of Barclays, and before that a JPMorgan bigwig, reminds us that the legacy of the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is still with us, thanks to Epstein’s extensive connections with the powerful and irresistible suspicions about the many who attended his parties, flew on his private jet or visited his private Caribbean island.

Mr. Staley, who once ran JPMorgan’s private bank, has now seen his ex-employer turn on him after he was named in a lawsuit as an eyewitness to an Epstein victim’s abuse. In a case aimed at collecting from JPMorgan for its alleged financial aid of Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, the victim, who calls herself “Jane Doe,” also states that an unnamed “powerful financial executive” physically abused her.

In a bombshell response, JPMorgan last week launched its own suit against Mr. Staley, saying it believes he is the subject of this allegation, which isn’t the same as saying it believes the allegation is true.

Mr. Staley in 2015 became the chief executive of Britain’s Barclays, stepping down after six years to defend himself, he said, against accusations he was insufficiently forthcoming about his Epstein ties.

Maddening to the public ought to be the feeling that a great deal is yet to come out—from litigants, whistleblowers and others withholding evidence. News reports refer to guest lists, flight logs, secret recording devices in Epstein’s homes, possible CDs full of data. Persistent, vague or unsubstantiated claims about specific people come and go. Prince Andrew. Bill Gates. Kevin Spacey. Elon Musk.

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