Jes Staley and a victim of Jeffrey Epstein both attacked JPMorgan Chase & Co. over its lawsuit against Staley, but for different reasons.
(Bloomberg) — Jes Staley and a victim of Jeffrey Epstein both attacked JPMorgan Chase & Co. over its lawsuit against Staley, but for different reasons.
Staley on Thursday called the bank’s allegations about his relationship with Epstein “baseless but serious” in his first legal filing since JPMorgan sued him in March. He asked that those claims be separated from two suits against the bank for providing Epstein with financial services.
Separately on Thursday, an unidentified Epstein victim leading a proposed class action against the bank, also pushed to separate the suits. She accused JPMorgan of using its case against Staley — in which the bank said it believed he had sexually assaulted her — to force her to turn over medical records and intimate communications.
Staley’s filing was in the form of a letter filed in Manhattan federal court. His lawyer, Brendan Sullivan, said Staley needed more time to prepare his defense because the stakes were so high for him.
“Disproving these false and highly-publicized allegations is of paramount importance to him,” Sullivan wrote.
“The allegations against him are baseless but serious: Mr. Staley is accused of aiding and abetting Jeffrey Epstein, one of the most notorious criminals in recent American history,” the lawyer added.
JPMorgan, which is facing two lawsuits for providing Epstein with banking services, sued Staley in March for misleadingly vouching for the sex offender. The bank said he should be responsible for any damages it incurs from the suits.
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