Jes Staley Details Consensual Encounter with Epstein Assistant to House Investigators

Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley told House investigators that a sexual encounter he had with an assistant of Jeffrey Epstein was consensual. Staley's comments came during an interview with the House Oversight Committee last month, according to a transcript released on Wednesday.

Staley, who exchanged approximately 1,200 communications with Epstein between 2008 and 2012 when he headed JP Morgan's Private Bank and Epstein was a client, described the encounter as consensual and not orchestrated by Epstein.

He stated that the woman, described as being in her twenties or thirties, invited him to her Upper East Side apartment in New York in 2009 or 2010. "My recollection is, she invited me into her bedroom," Staley testified, when asked about the consensual nature of the encounter.

Staley claimed he met the woman several months after first encountering her at Epstein's residence and that they had crossed paths up to a dozen times before and after the single intimate encounter. He stated he never informed Epstein about the meeting and was unaware if Epstein had instructed women to engage in sexual activity with his associates.

When informed that the woman had sued Epstein for sexual abuse and settled with his estate, Staley indicated he had no knowledge of any abuse by Epstein towards his assistants.

Snow White Inquiry

The House panel also questioned Staley regarding a potential encounter with a woman dressed as Snow White at Epstein's residence. Transcripts show Staley wrote to Epstein on July 9, 2010, "Maybe they’re tracking u?? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White." Epstein responded the following day by asking, "[W]hat character would you like next?" Staley replied, "Beauty and the Beast."

An unidentified individual also emailed Epstein on July 10, 2010, stating, "the snow white was f..ed twice as soon as she put her costume."

Investigators presented Staley with a photograph, emailed by Epstein to a redacted recipient on July 11, 2010, showing a young woman in a Snow White costume. Staley maintained he did not recognize the woman in the photograph and did not recall ever seeing her with Epstein, nor did he recall having sex with a woman in a Snow White costume.