JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Faces Inquiry Over Possible UK Lobbying Conduct Linked to Jeffrey Epstein, FT Reports

July 13 (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has received a letter from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren inquiring whether the bank lobbied the United Kingdom government to oppose a tax on bankers’ bonuses based on advice from the late Jeffrey Epstein, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

The inquiry follows the release earlier this year of a trove of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has intensified scrutiny on policymakers and high‑profile executives for their ties to the convicted sex offender.

According to the FT, Warren—who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee—sent Dimon a letter last week demanding a full accounting of any interactions between the bank, Dimon personally, and Epstein, stating, “It is critical that Congress and the American public fully understand the extent of any interactions the bank and you had with Epstein.”

Reuters has not seen the referenced letter, and Warren could not be reached for immediate comment.

The FT previously disclosed, citing DOJ‑released emails, that in 2009 Lord Peter Mandelson, then Britain’s business secretary, advised Epstein that Dimon should “mildly threaten” then‑Chancellor Alastair Darling regarding a proposed banker‑bonus tax.

JPMorgan issued a statement on Monday confirming that Dimon “never met with him, never emailed him, and was not involved in any decisions about his account,” echoing his 2023 deposition on the bank’s relationship with Epstein.

The bank added, “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.”

Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 1998 until the bank terminated his account in 2013, years after he pleaded guilty to prostitution‑related charges. In 2023 the firm agreed to pay approximately $290 million to settle a class‑action lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims.

“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,” the statement continued. “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.”

Warren’s letter also requested detailed communications between Dimon, other JPMorgan employees, Epstein, and UK government officials, the FT reported, adding, “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 U.S. Senate Committee on Banking did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

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