Jes Staley's Ties to Epstein Under Scrutiny: A Congressional Testimony

Jes Staley, former Barclays CEO, will testify in a closed-door U.S. congressional hearing about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. This is part of a broader investigation into Epstein's connections with political and business elites. Staley previously faced regulatory and legal challenges over his association with Epstein.

Jes Staley, former chief executive of Barclays, is set to testify on Thursday in a closed U.S. congressional hearing regarding his connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Lawmakers are delving into Epstein's relationships with elites from political and business spheres.

Appearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Staley will be questioned as part of the investigation into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Staley, who resigned from Barclays in 2021 following a conflict with the UK's financial regulator, had his appeal denied in June 2025 against a ban by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for misleading the regulator about his ties to Epstein. The FCA's case referenced over 1,000 emails where Staley called Epstein “family” and described their friendship as “profound.”

Staley claimed he did not remember these emails and believed he had a professional relationship with Epstein, unaware of his criminal activities. Separately, Staley and Barclays face a lawsuit in Los Angeles, accusing them of deceiving shareholders about his connection with Epstein. Prior to joining Barclays, Staley managed JPMorgan Chase’s private bank, where Epstein was a client. The U.S. Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan for allegedly overlooking Epstein’s sex trafficking, which the bank settled without admitting liability. Epstein, who died in jail in 2019, maintained ties with numerous influential figures.