Previously sealed legal documents connected to the investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein contain serious allegations of sexual misconduct against former Barclays CEO Jes Staley. The records, which include an internal prosecution memo, claim the former banking executive engaged in non-consensual sexual acts with women associated with Epstein.
The central document, an 86-page internal memorandum dated December 2019 from federal prosecutors in New York, summarizes interviews with individuals described as victims and witnesses. One account alleges that during a massage at Epstein’s New York residence around 2011 or 2012, Staley forced a woman into unwanted sexual contact and subsequently raped her. The memo notes the woman complained to Epstein afterward.
A separate section references another woman who stated she was directed to massage both Staley and financier Leon Black, alleging both men engaged in sexual contact with her against her will during those sessions. The documents also include a separate, undated note from an individual using the derogatory nickname “tinkerbell,” who claims an interaction with Staley left bloody marks on her arms.
While the documents reveal prosecutors reviewed these allegations, there is no indication formal charges were ever pursued. Staley has not been criminally charged in relation to these claims. Through previous legal proceedings, he has denied any wrongdoing. Attempts to obtain a comment on the newly revealed documents were unsuccessful.
The files also reference email exchanges from 2010 between Staley and Epstein containing cryptic references to Disney characters like “Snow White.” Other released correspondence shows Epstein requested a Snow White costume weeks prior to that exchange. During a UK court hearing last year, Staley stated he had no recollection of the meaning behind these emails.
Staley’s professional relationship with Epstein, which began when Epstein was a client at JP Morgan, ultimately led to significant fallout. He resigned from his leadership role at Barclays in 2021 following a regulatory probe into his ties with the convicted sex offender. A subsequent decision by UK financial authorities barred him from the industry for minimizing the extent of that relationship, a ban he unsuccessfully challenged in court.
The unsealed records further indicate that as recently as June 2023, prosecutors acknowledged the allegations against Staley from a victim’s legal representative, while noting a lack of independent corroboration at that time.
Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The release of these documents provides new, disturbing detail into the wide circle of associates scrutinized by investigators, placing renewed attention on the conduct of powerful individuals linked to his network.
