JPMorgan seeks files from Manhattan DA in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuits

JPMorgan Chase is seeking documents from the office of Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg in lawsuits the bank faces over its relationship with convicted ex-subvert Jeffrey Epstein, a former client, according to federal court records.

Bragg and JPMorgan Chase attorneys; former senior executive, Jess Staley; Prosecutors in the cases attended a conference call with US District Judge Jed S. Rakov on Tuesday. Rakoff has instructed Bragg’s office to provide a so-called privilege record of documents requested by the Wall Street giant by Friday. This is a list of documents that the Prague office argues are privileged and not subject to discovery.

A Prague spokesperson said, “There is a protective order in place so we cannot comment on the nature of the documents required.”

The bank faces two lawsuits filed last year by the US Virgin Islands and a woman identified as “Jane Doe 1”, accusing it of facilitating Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme.

In its complaint, the US Virgin Islands alleged that “JP Morgan, knowingly, negligently and unlawfully, provided and pulled the levers by which recruits and victims were paid and was indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise.”

The two lawsuits are seeking financial damages. JPMorgan Chase denied responsibility.

Deutsche Bank on Wednesday agreed to pay Epstein’s victims $75 million to settle a lawsuit it claims enabled Epstein’s conduct.

JPMorgan Chase sued Staley in March, claiming that he must accept liability for damages he may face from the lawsuits. Staley – who worked at the bank for more than 30 years – is accused of having knowledge of Epstein’s behavior and of engaging in “sexual activity with young women that Epstein purchased”.

Staley asked for the suit to be dismissed and said the bank was using him as a “public relations shield”. However, he has expressed regret over his relationship with Epstein.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is set to be impeached in lawsuits this month.

On Thursday evening, a JPMorgan spokesperson told NBC News: “Jamie Dimon has never met Epstein, never communicated with him, never emailed him, and played no role in any business with him.”

In a television interview with Bloomberg last week, Dimon said he was “very sad that we had anything to do with this guy at all.”

“You know, we’ve had the top lawyers doing the appraisals, who [U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission] application, al [Justice Department]You know, and obviously, if we had known what we know today, we would have done things differently,” Dimon said. “But this is very unfortunate, and I have a deep respect for these women.

He added, “This does not mean that we are responsible for any individual’s actions, but I do have deep respect for them. My heart is with them.”

In court documents, the US Virgin Islands alleged that the company’s “banking relationship” was known to the “highest levels of the bank.” An August 2008 internal email stated, “I would consider Epstein’s assets as potential 2008 outflows (120mm or so?) as I can’t imagine they will survive (pending Dimon’s review)”.

Additional internal emails and memos filed as exhibits also revealed that bank executives were concerned about the financial institution’s relationship with Epstein dating back to 2006.

Financial records show that Epstein used his accounts at JPMorgan Chase to transfer about $3 million to “women and girls” from 2003 to 2013, according to records prosecutors provided as documents.

Financial records do not reveal the names of those who received the transfers or their connections to Epstein.

During that time, Epstein withdrew just over $5 million in cash, usually up to $40,000, court documents show.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tina Smith, the managing director of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, asked Dimon in a letter last week why the bank ignored “clear signs of illegal Epstein activity” and maintained a relationship with Epstein.

“If true, JPMorgan’s decision to turn a blind eye to such egregious behavior raises serious questions about its role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse, and its willingness or ability to root out and prevent other, less visible cases of sex trafficking,” she said.