An attorney for the U.S. Virgin Islands alleged in federal court that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes.
“Jamie Dimon knew in 2008 that his billionaire client was a sex trafficker,” attorney Mimi Liu told Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff at a Thursday hearing, CNBC reports.
The ongoing lawsuit claims JPMorgan Chase ignored the truth surrounding Epstein and his crimes to keep him as a client.
U.S. Virgin Islands Sues JPMorgan Chase for ‘Enabling’ Jeffrey Epstein Sex Crimes
Former U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George accused JPMorgan Chase of “knowingly providing and pulling the levers through which recruiters and victims were paid.”
A U.S. judge ruled earlier this month that JPMorgan Chase must provide additional records from CEO Jamie Dimon relating to the lawsuit.
HEADS UP!! 🔥
A judge has forced JPMorgan to produce documents related to CEO Jamie Dimon in the Virgin Islands Epstein litigation. pic.twitter.com/ws1W0TKf8D
— Killer Instinct 🇺🇸 (@SandraYozipovic) March 10, 2023
JPMorgan Chase has attempted to dismiss the lawsuit and shift legal responsibility onto former executive Jes Staley.
From Fox Business:
JPMorgan has tried to dismiss the lawsuit, noting the Virgin Islands government has already settled with Epstein’s estate for more than $100 million.
The lawsuit comes as the bank has filed two complaints in federal court, claiming former bank executive Jes Staley, protected Epstein and engaged in sexual assault while working for the company.
JPMorgan wants the former private banking chief, Jes Staley, to reimburse the bank for damages it might incur in the other lawsuits and return eight years of compensation.
“Staley’s acts of disloyalty occurred repeatedly, lasted for years, and persisted despite numerous opportunities to correct them,” JPMorgan wrote in court filings as it demanded Staley return eight years of compensation.
“If Staley is a rogue employee, why isn’t Jamie Dimon?” Liu said at the hearing.
“Staley knew, Dimon knew, JPMorgan Chase knew," she added in reference to Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activities.
A lawyer for the U.S. Virgin Islands pointed a finger at JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon for facilitating sex trafficking by Jeffrey Epstein https://t.co/PwAHQiHFvv
— CNBC (@CNBC) March 17, 2023
Per CNBC:
Liu said there were multiple cash transactions and wire transfers by Epstein, including sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to several women, which should have been officially flagged as suspicious.
“They broke every rule to facilitate his sex trafficking in exchange for Epstein’s wealth, connections and referrals,” Liu argued
“This case was not just Jes Staley … there will be numerous documents that go far beyond his office to the executive suite,” she said.
A lawyer for JPMorgan disputed those arguments, “in particular the point about Jamie Dimon having any specific knowledge.”
Dimon is not a named defendant in the suit against the bank.
JPMorgan spokeswoman Patricia Wexler in a statement said, “It is unfair for CNBC to report lawyers’ unsubstantiated arguments as facts.”
Wexler also said, “Jamie Dimon has no recollection of reviewing the Epstein accounts.”
Staley has denied knowing about Epstein’s illegal conduct. He was CEO of Barclays from 2015 until late 2021, when he quit after a probe by British financial regulators into his ties to Epstein.
Attorneys for the Virgin Islands previously have highlighted an August 2008 internal email at JPMorgan which suggested that Epstein’s account would be closed that year because of concerns over his conduct.
“I would count Epstein’s assets as a probable outflow for ’08 ($120mm or so?) as I can’t imagine it will stay (pending Dimon review),” an unidentified employee wrote in that email, mentioned in the Virgin Islands’ lawsuit.
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