Warren Calls on Bank Regulators to Launch Investigation into U.S. Banking Executives Who May Have Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Crimes
“Any banking executives who facilitated the crimes of one of the world’s most notorious sex criminals should be held to account.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Michelle Bowman, Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision, Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency, and Travis Hill, Acting Chairman at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, calling for an investigation into all current and former U.S. banking executives who may have facilitated Jeffrey Epstein’s illicit conduct, including former JPMorgan executive and Barclays CEO James Edward Staley. Ranking Member Warren previously called on Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) to hold a hearing regarding Epstein’s use of the U.S. financial system.
“Staley reportedly pushed back against concerns about Epstein’s suspicious transactions,” wrote Ranking Member Warren. “According to recent reporting, employees at JPMorgan raised concerns about Epstein as early as 2006. But by 2011, Staley had developed ‘a reputation for running interference on Epstein’s behalf” and ‘repeatedly went to bat for (him) at the bank.””
The Ranking Member continued:“(T)he firm’s general counsel Stephen Cutler warned Staley and other executives that Epstein ‘is not an honorable person in any way’ and ‘should not be a client.’ But Staley reportedly ‘insisted that the relationship was safe’ and that Epstein ‘deserved a second chance.’”
Ranking Member Warren underscored that Staley is not the only bank executive who had concerning ties to Epstein: “For example, according to Staley’s sworn deposition, he discussed Epstein with CEO Jamie Dimon on at least two occasions. Additionally, the firm’s current asset and wealth management chief and former general counsel reportedly were also aware of Epstein’s suspicious behavior and failed to remove him as a client. Furthermore, according to recent reporting, Epstein’s ‘banking and investment activities’ were ‘more widespread than previously known’ and included relationships with large banks, like TD Bank.”
The Ranking Member urged regulators to condemn misconduct in the financial system: “It is critical to send a message to the public and current bank employees that egregious misconduct has no place in the American banking system. Any banking executives that facilitated the crimes of one of the world’s most notorious sex criminals should be held to account.”
The Ranking Member concluded by asking the agencies to publicly announce an investigation into banking executives who may have aided Epstein’s illicit conduct by November 7, 2025 and confidentially confirm with the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and House Committee on Financial Services that an investigation into Staley’s conduct specifically has been opened by November 14, 2025.
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