Great Friendship: UK watchdog reveals personal emails between Jeffrey Epstein and former banking executive

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British financial market regulator has published personal emails between the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime friend, former banking executive Jes Staley. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) included emails and text messages in a 79-page report published on Tuesday outlining the FCA's decision to fine Staley £1.8 million and ban him from holding senior positions in the financial industry, the FCA press office said.

The report alleges that Staley misled the FCA about the closeness of his relationship with Epstein and the timing of the cessation of their regular communication. He will appeal the FCA's decision to the regulator's upper tribunal.

FCA found that Epstein and Staley exchanged more than 1,000 emails between July 2008 and December 2012 and about 600 emails between January 2013 and October 2015. According to the FCA report, Staley visited Epstein's property on multiple occasions, and the emails indicate that they often spoke on the phone. Staley even visited Epstein while he was in prison for forcing a minor into prostitution in Florida, the FCA report said.

The FCA report said Staley described Epstein as one of his "deepest" and "dearest" friends, whose "deep" friendship with him is comparable to that of an ancient Greek army. Epstein advised Staley and helped him advance his career until Staley became head of British banking conglomerate Barclays in October 2015, according to the FCA report.

Staley was an executive at JP Morgan Chase, where the bank provided financial services to Epstein for more than a decade. Their relationship began around 1999, when Staley was an executive at private bank JP Morgan and Epstein was a wealthy client of that bank.

The FCA report gives details of email correspondence between Staley and Epstein in which they discussed Staley's recruitment to Barclays.

They also cooperated in coordinating a response to media inquiries about their relationship and allegations that Epstein influenced Barclays' decision to appoint Staley to head the company. The FCA report concluded that Epstein did not play a role in Staley's appointment as head of Barclays.

The report also indicates that Staley worked with Barclays executives and the bank's lawyers to soften information about his relationship with Epstein in response to the press. The FCA concluded that Staley "falsely" told a Barclays executive that he had not discussed the recruitment process with Epstein. Barclays was also unaware of Staley's conversations with Epstein regarding press inquiries regarding their relationship.

The last email exchange between Staley and Epstein took place on October 25, 2015, three days before Staley's appointment as head of Barclays was officially announced.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in August 2019 as he awaited trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

FCA launched an investigation into Barclays regarding Staley's relationship with Epstein just days afterward, demanding that the bank explain in writing what was done to prevent misconduct. Barclays responded to the FCA in October 2019 and wrote a letter with two statements that seem to mischaracterize Staley's connection to Epstein. The FCA concluded that Staley misled the regulator and indoctrinated the Barclays board with incorrect information about his relationship with Epstein.

FCA did not disclose its findings on whether Staley knew about Epstein's alleged sexual misconduct after he was released from prison and moved to the US Virgin Islands. Staley resigned as head of Barclays in November 2021 after Barclays was initially made aware of the FCA's findings.