Story
Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley to Testify Before Congress on Epstein Ties
Summary
Jes Staley, the former chief executive of Barclays, is scheduled to appear in a closed-door session before a U.S. House committee as part of its ongoing investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's network.
Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley is set to testify on Thursday before a U.S. congressional panel in a closed-door hearing regarding his long-standing relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The testimony is part of a broader probe by lawmakers into Epstein's connections with prominent figures in business and politics.
Congressional Scrutiny
Staley will appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The committee has previously interviewed other high-profile individuals, including former President Bill Clinton and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, as part of its inquiry.
Staley's appearance follows years of scrutiny over his ties to Epstein, which ultimately led to his departure from the British banking giant.
A Relationship Under Investigation
Staley served as CEO of Barclays from 2015 until his resignation in 2021. His departure came after a dispute with UK financial regulators over how he characterized his relationship with Epstein. In June 2025, Staley lost an appeal against an industry ban imposed by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for misleading the regulator.
AdThe FCA's case cited a cache of over 1,000 emails exchanged between the two men, in which Staley reportedly described their friendship as "profound." Staley has maintained that he had a professional relationship with Epstein and was unaware of his criminal activities, stating he had no recollection of the specific emails.
Previous Roles and Legal Fallout
Before his tenure at Barclays, Staley was the head of the private bank at JPMorgan Chase, where Epstein was a client. JPMorgan later faced a lawsuit from the U.S. Virgin Islands for allegedly facilitating Epstein's sex trafficking operations, which the bank settled without admitting liability.
JPMorgan subsequently sued Staley, and the two parties reached a confidential settlement. Staley is also currently facing a shareholder lawsuit in Los Angeles, which alleges he and Barclays defrauded investors about his relationship with Epstein. The defendants have moved to have the case dismissed.
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