Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley to Face House Epstein Panel in July

CNBC reported Sunday that former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has accepted an invitation to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on July 23. The voluntary transcribed interview will focus on his personal and professional relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

A Widening Circle of High-Profile Witnesses

The Oversight panel, chaired by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has been steadily building a roster of prominent figures connected to Epstein. Former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have already sat for interviews. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the committee as recently as Friday, fielding questions about the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related files.

Several more interviews are queued. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled for June 10. Billionaire Leon Black is reportedly set for June 26, and Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler is reportedly slated for July 15.

Staley’s Long History With Epstein

Staley led JPMorgan’s private wealth and asset management divisions during the years Epstein was a major client of the bank. The two men were personally close. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on federal child sex trafficking charges.

JPMorgan later paid $290 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the bank had enabled Epstein’s trafficking operation. A separate $75 million settlement followed with the U.S. Virgin Islands government. JPMorgan also reached a confidential resolution with Staley over the bank’s claim that he bore civil responsibility for Epstein-linked costs. Neither public settlement included an admission of wrongdoing.

A Regulatory Ban and a Public Resignation

Staley stepped down as Barclays CEO in late 2021 after the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority launched an inquiry into whether he had accurately described his Epstein relationship to the bank. The FCA ultimately fined Staley more than $2 million and permanently barred him from senior roles in the UK financial sector in 2023. Barclays clarified at the time that the investigation did not find he had been aware of Epstein’s crimes. Staley himself said in 2020 that he deeply regretted the relationship in hindsight.

The July 23 session will mark his first formal engagement with Congressional investigators probing one of the most consequential financial and criminal scandals of the past two decades.