Warren calls on US regulators to probe Jes Staley’s Epstein links
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Elizabeth Warren urges US regulators to investigate Jes Staley and others over ties to Jeffrey Epstein, calling for accountability in the banking sector.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears before the Senate Finance Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 (AP)
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has urged regulators to launch an investigation into several bankers, including Jes Staley, over their alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the probe could ultimately result in the former Barclays chief being barred from participating in the US financial industry.
In a letter submitted confidentially to regulators and reviewed by The Guardian, Warren urged probes into “all current and former US banking executives who may have enabled Jeffrey Epstein’s illegal activities,” highlighting the need for accountability and scrutiny across the financial sector.
This also encompasses Staley, whom Warren indicated is accused of assisting in safeguarding the late financier’s access to the banking system while he worked at JP Morgan in the early 2000s. She also highlighted that Staley, already prohibited from working in the UK banking sector, has been referred to in media coverage as Epstein’s “chief defender”.
Staley ignored warnings about Epstein's transactions
Warren, who serves as the top Democrat on the US Senate committee overseeing banking, housing, and urban affairs, expressed concern over reports that Staley resisted colleagues’ warnings about Epstein’s suspicious transactions, citing an issue that was addressed to him during court proceedings earlier this year.
She pointed to court evidence indicating that Staley alerted Epstein to JP Morgan’s concerns, enabling him to change his behavior and avoid scrutiny, while Staley told the court he “was not part of managing the account” but did not deny warning Epstein about cash withdrawal issues.
Her letter noted that over his 15 years with JP Morgan, Epstein opened at least 134 accounts, moved over $1 billion in transactions, and attracted lucrative clients, and while the bank has paid $290 million in settlements to his victims, Staley has so far escaped accountability in the United States.
Current and former banking executives to be investigated
The Democrat Senator has called on the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to publicly confirm the launch of an investigation into current and former banking executives who may have assisted Epstein by November 7.
She also requested private confirmation that a probe specifically into Staley’s conduct be opened by November 14, noting that any findings of wrongdoing could lead to fines and a potential ban from working in the US banking sector.
“It is critical to send a message to the public and current bank employees that this type of egregious misconduct has no place in the American banking system,” Warren’s letter said.
