JPMorgan's Dimon questioned on whether he lobbied UK government on Epstein's advice
Senator Warren's Inquiry and JPMorgan's Response
By Utkarsh Shetti
July 13 (Reuters) - JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has received a letter from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren about whether he lobbied the UK government against a tax on bankers' bonuses on the advice of Jeffrey Epstein, the Senate Banking Committee said on Monday.
Background: Epstein's Influence and Released Documents
The news follows the release of a cache of documents earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Justice that has piled pressure on some policymakers and high-profile executives on their links with the late convicted sex offender.
Senator Warren's Letter
"It is critical that Congress and the American public fully understand the extent of any interactions the bank and you had with Epstein," Warren, the top Democrat on the committee, said in the letter to Dimon.
The Financial Times was the first to report the news.
Details of the Alleged Lobbying
2009 Emails and UK Tax Policy
Earlier this year, the FT revealed, citing emails released by the DoJ, that in 2009, Lord Peter Mandelson, then Britain's business secretary, told Epstein that Dimon should "mildly threaten" Alistair Darling, the chancellor at the time, over a proposed tax on banker bonuses.
JPMorgan's Official Statement
JPMorgan told Reuters in a statement on Monday that Dimon "never met with him, never emailed him, and was not involved in any decisions about his account," reiterating the stance from his 2023 deposition about the bank's relationship with Epstein.
Bank's Position on Lobbying Allegations
"On the matter of "lobbying" in the UK – Jamie regularly speaks his mind on bad, anti-growth policy and has his own views. At no point did he take counsel from him, directly or indirectly," the bank said, referring to Epstein.
JPMorgan's Relationship with Epstein
Timeline and Legal Settlements
Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 until the bank terminated him in 2013, years after he pleaded guilty to prostitution-related charges. The largest U.S. lender agreed to pay about $290 million to settle a class action lawsuit by Epstein's victims in 2023.
"Any association with the man was a mistake and we regret it, but we would not have continued doing business with him had we believed he was engaged in ongoing crimes," JPMorgan said in the statement.
"We exited him as a client in 2013 — years before his federal sex trafficking arrest and years after the government had damning information they kept from us."
Further Inquiries and Ongoing Questions
Senator Warren's Requests
Warren detailed questions and requested documents from Dimon and other JPMorgan employees detailing communications with Epstein and UK government officials.
"These resurfaced emails and related reporting raise serious questions regarding the extent of the bank's relationship with Epstein, and your knowledge of these ties," the letter said.
(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Pooja Desai)
