How Newly Released Documents Reveal JPMorgan Bankers’ Ongoing Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Newly released Justice Department and congressional documents show that JPMorgan bankers maintained connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for years after the bank formally cut him off as a client in 2013.

The records detail how Epstein, even after being dropped, helped manage the fortune of Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black and remained entwined with some of the bank’s senior employees.

The documents highlight that two JPMorgan managing directors, Justin Nelson and Paul Barrett, continued to interact with Epstein from 2014 through 2017.

Nelson had been Epstein’s banker before the bank severed ties, while Barrett had assisted him with investments.

According to WSJ, emails show the bankers relied on Epstein to develop a relationship between JPMorgan and Black’s family office, Elysium Management, which oversaw Black’s personal wealth.

“To the extent our bankers subsequently interacted with him, it was because other clients—not JPMorgan—chose to use him as an advisor,” said JPMorgan spokesman Joseph Evangelisti.

He added that Barrett’s personal dealings with Epstein were not authorized by the bank.

Even after leaving JPMorgan in 2017, Barrett continued working closely with Epstein, managing his personal investments through Alpha Group Capital.

Records indicate Barrett offered advice on Epstein’s portfolio and arranged meetings between Epstein and JPMorgan staff, including Nelson and other executives, to help pitch investment opportunities.

Emails Show Epstein Helped JPMorgan

Epstein’s role at Elysium started in 2012, when he began advising on Black’s finances.

Emails from 2014 show Nelson meeting Epstein at his townhouse and requesting contacts at Elysium to promote JPMorgan services. Within weeks, Elysium opened accounts with the bank, according to the filings.

While JPMorgan maintains that it had no control over its clients’ choice to engage Epstein, the documents illustrate how Epstein continued to move money through the bank.

In one instance, six months before his death in 2019, Epstein wired $150,000 into a JPMorgan account for his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, Yahoo reported.

He had also stayed involved in investment decisions for clients including Black and music mogul Tommy Mottola, while his associates continued using bank services.

JPMorgan previously reported suspicions about Epstein’s activity, including unusually large cash withdrawals, and compliance officers flagged him before the bank ended the relationship.

After Epstein’s death, JPMorgan settled lawsuits from his victims and the US Virgin Islands for a combined $365 million, without admitting liability.

The released documents reveal that Epstein’s network allowed him to remain influential in financial circles long after his 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution.

Originally published on vcpost.com