Jes Staley, the former CEO of Barclays, is fighting a ban from senior roles in the UK’s financial sector over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) claims Staley misled the regulator about the nature of their relationship.
Staley argues that some emails exchanged with Epstein were “innocuous” and required additional context. His lawyers claim that he did not have a close relationship with Epstein beyond professional connections, citing images sent by Epstein as examples. However, the FCA disputes this, saying Staley had a motive to downplay their relationship.
The case centers on a letter sent by Barclays to the FCA in 2019, which stated that Staley had not had a close relationship with Epstein. The FCA claims the pair’s relationship went beyond professional and involved the use of Staley’s daughter as an intermediary. A tribunal is hearing the case, with Staley arguing that the FCA’s interpretation is incorrect.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/03/ex-barclays-ceo-jes-staley-tells-court-bank-well-aware-of-his-jeffrey-epstein-links