House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) escalated his investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Monday, formally requesting a transcribed interview with former JPMorgan Chase executive Jes Staley.
In a letter to Staley, Comer wrote that public reporting, Department of Justice documents, and materials already obtained by the committee indicate that Staley possesses information critical to the probe. The Kentucky Republican has proposed that Staley sit for a transcribed interview at 10 a.m. on any of four consecutive days—July 20, 21, 22, or 23—in Washington, D.C., and asked Staley to respond with a preferred date by May 26.
Staley, 69, spent more than three decades at JPMorgan Chase, where he oversaw the investment bank before becoming CEO of Barclays in 2015. He resigned from that post in 2021 amid an investigation by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority into his ties to Epstein. In 2023, JPMorgan Chase sued Staley, alleging he concealed Epstein's abuse and trafficking to retain him as a client. The two parties settled later that year on confidential terms.
Emails released by the DOJ show that Staley and Epstein remained in contact years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. In one January 2012 email, Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff informed the disgraced financier that Staley and a woman named “Alexa” would “stop by” that Sunday. Roughly a year later, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon announced Staley's departure to join BlueMountain Capital Management.
That same morning, Phillip DeLuca, then managing director of the bank's financial crimes compliance unit, emailed anti-money laundering compliance manager Maryanne Ryan: “Should we get rid of Epstein now?” Ryan replied, “I think in a few weeks, I will circulate again for discussion.”
The committee's probe comes amid broader scrutiny of Epstein's financial network. In a related development, House Democrats have accused Trump administration official Howard Lutnick of lying in closed-door testimony about Epstein, underscoring the partisan tensions surrounding the investigation.
Meanwhile, Democrats on the Oversight panel held a public, livestreamed hearing in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday featuring alleged Epstein victims. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the ranking member, wrote on social media: “For the first time we will hear testimony from survivors in a hearing format. It's time for justice and truth. Let's end this White House cover-up.”
The hearing location is significant: Palm Beach is where many of Epstein's crimes took place. The dual-track approach—Comer's focus on financial enablers and Democrats' emphasis on survivor testimony—reflects the committee's divided strategy as the Epstein saga continues to reverberate through Washington. Separately, former President Trump has lashed out at a Fox News host over an interview with Rep. Ro Khanna about Epstein files, adding another layer of political intrigue.
