CEO Jamie Dimon faces judicial examination over the financial giant’s links to convicted sex offender.
Jamie Dimon, the longtime CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, faces judicial examination in two civil lawsuits that claim the investment bank profited from links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, several media outlets reported on Tuesday, citing sources. The lawsuits were brought against the Wall Street bank by an alleged Epstein victim and against the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned a home.
Epstein, who died in a prison cell in 2021 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, had been a client at JPMorgan for 15 years, from 1998 to 2013. The last five years of those were after he’d pleaded guilty in Florida of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute.
The lawsuits against JPMorgan claim that Dimon as CEO had knowingly allowed continued cooperation with Epstein, ignoring internal warnings about his illegal behavior.
According to a report by the Financial Times, during the pretrial process investigators found communications between JPMorgan employees that mentioned a “Dimon review” of the bank’s relationship with Epstein. The bank, however, denied that Dimon had any knowledge of such a review. A source within JPMorgan with knowledge of the bank’s internal probe into the matter, told the news outlet there was no record of the CEO being in direct communication with Epstein.
According to the reports, Dimon agreed to be interviewed under oath about the lawsuits. His sworn deposition, will reportedly take place in May, behind closed doors.
JPMorgan has so far declined to comment on the reports. A provisional trial date for the cases against the bank is set for October.
Germany’s Deutsche Bank, which provided financial services for Epstein between 2013 and 2018, is also being sued over its links to the late financier.