Financial giant JPMorgan is claiming it should not be sued over its relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The government of the Virgin Islands has sued the financial giant. AÂ newly released version of the Lawsuit said that âat least 20 individuals paid through JP Morgan accounts were victims of trafficking and sexual assault in Little St. James, New York, and/or other Epstein properties.â
Little St. James was the location of Epsteinâs Virgin Islands home.
JPMorgan is also being sued by a former sex trafficking victim, known in the Lawsuit as Jane Doe 1.
In response, a new lawsuit has been filed in which JPMorgan is suing Jes Staley, a former senior executive at JPMorgan.
The JPMorgan Lawsuit repeats claims Doe made in her suit that âStaley knew without any doubt that Epstein was trafficking and abusing girlsâ and that âall of staff, including his main attorney and accountant, worked full time to conceal the illegal operation.â
âDoe also alleges, âStaley had observed victims personally, and he was aware that Epstein was shelling out millions of dollars to attorneys to take on these well-founded allegations,ââ the JPMorgan Lawsuit claims, adding, âDoe alleges that Staley âpersonally observed Doe as a sex trafficking and abuse victim at times including through his departure from JP Morgan in 2013.ââ
The claim cites allegations from Doe that Stalely ââpersonally spent time with young girls whom he met through Epstein on several occasionsâ; âpersonally visited young girls at Epsteinâs apartments located at 301 East 66th Streetâ; âpersonally observed Epstein around young girlsâ; and personally observed, âEpstein sexually grab young women in front of him.'â
The Morgan Lawsuit said Staley never informed JPMorgan about his connections with Epstein.
The suit said that if the claims from Doe and the Virgin Islands government are true, âStaley repeatedly abandoned the interests of JPMC and served his own and Epsteinâs interests.â
The bank summed up its claims by writing âto the extent that Staley knew of, participated in, or witnessed sexual abuse associated with Epstein and did not report it to, actively concealed it from, or misrepresented his knowledge to JPMC, Staley, not JPMC, is responsible for any injuries Epstein may have caused.â
âStaley affirmatively misrepresented the true facts of his and Epsteinâs personal interactions and activities to JPMC and repeatedly provided misleading information to JPMC when vouching for Epsteinâs character and conduct,â the suit said.
The Virgin Islands lawsuit delved into what it called Epsteinâs âclose personal relationshipâ with Staley.
âBetween 2008 and 2012, Staley exchanged approximately 1,200 emails with Epstein from his JP Morgan email account. These communications show a close personal relationship and âprofoundâ friendship between the two men and even suggest that Staley may have been involved in Epsteinâs sex-trafficking operation,â the Lawsuit said.
The Lawsuit noted that on two separate occasions when Staley visited Epstein properties, âa woman with an Eastern European surnameâ was wired money by Epstein.
In July 2010, according to the Lawsuit, Staley âsent an email to Epstein, saying: âMaybe theyâre tracking u? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White.â Epstein responded: âhat character would you like next?â When Staley said âBeauty and the Beastâ, Epstein replied: âwell one side is available.ââ
A lawyer for Staley declined to comment on the initial Lawsuit in which his communications with Epstein were made public, according to the Financial Times.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
