Jes Staley’s lawyer has described “slanderous” allegations that he aided and abetted Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes as “baseless however critical”, after the previous government was sued by JPMorgan Chase, his erstwhile employer.

Brendan Sullivan, who’s representing Staley, requested a federal decide in New York for extra time to overview tens of 1000’s of paperwork referring to the case, which was introduced after JPMorgan was sued by an alleged Epstein sufferer and the US Virgin Islands, the place the disgraced financier had a house. The lawyer additionally requested for the case in opposition to Staley to be severed from the 2 in opposition to the US financial institution.

“The allegations in opposition to him are slanderous, and the potential damages are astronomical,” Sullivan wrote, including that since his shopper was accused of aiding “one of the infamous criminals in latest American historical past” the stakes “may hardly be greater”.

The transfer by Staley to sever his case from JPMorgan’s is the newest salvo in a high-profile dispute over the financial institution’s resolution to retain Epstein as a shopper for 15 years, earlier than dropping him in 2013.

JPMorgan has referred to as the fits in opposition to it “meritless” and subsequently countersued Staley, who was on the financial institution for many years and for a interval managed the connection with Epstein. Its grievance alleged Staley withheld details about crimes he had witnessed at Epstein’s properties whereas being concerned in an inner overview of the late intercourse offender’s account.

In a separate submitting, a lawyer for the unnamed Epstein accuser echoed the request for the case in opposition to Staley to be separated, claiming it was introduced by JPMorgan to “harass and intimidate” her and others by “seizing on [her] concern” of Staley, who she alleged had additionally abused her.

Staley would now have entry to the sufferer’s “intimate communications”, the lawyer claimed, in addition to personal medical information, and the impact of the go well with could be to “pressure Staley again into her life”.

In his rebuttal of the accusations from JPMorgan and the Epstein accuser, Staley’s lawyer mentioned “disproving these false and highly-publicised allegations is of paramount significance to him”, including that “this courtroom’s scheduling rulings have severely prejudiced [Staley’s] capability to take action”.

He requested the October trial date — which Jed Rakoff, the decide overseeing the case, mentioned final month would take “an act of God” to maneuver — be rescheduled for March 2024.

In an announcement, JPMorgan mentioned it made “no sense” to separate Stalely’s case from the others, to which he’s “inextricably linked”.

“Jane Doe herself has instantly accused him of horrific sexual misconduct and, if true, he should be held accountable,” it mentioned.

Legal professionals for Staley didn’t instantly return a request for remark.

Final month, Rakoff declined to dismiss allegations that JPMorgan benefited from Epstein’s trafficking by ignoring inner warnings after he was arrested for solicitation of a minor in Florida in 2006.

In its countersuit in opposition to Staley, JPMorgan has requested the courtroom to make the previous government answerable for any damages that is perhaps awarded in opposition to it, in addition to to claw again tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in his pay.

Staley, who has denied wrongdoing, is about to be questioned beneath oath by the financial institution’s legal professionals later this month.

Individually, legal professionals for JPMorgan subpoenaed Assured Funding Administration, previously generally known as BlueMountain Capital, the place Staley labored after leaving JPMorgan and earlier than turning into chief government of British financial institution Barclays, in accordance with an individual aware of the matter on Thursday.

The existence of the subpoena was first reported by Bloomberg.

The 66-year-old American joined BlueMountain as a managing accomplice in 2013. He left BlueMountain lower than two years later to turn into chief government of Barclays in 2015, however resigned after six years following a regulatory investigation within the UK into the way in which he characterised his relationship with Epstein.

Assured Funding Administration didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Further reporting by Ortenca Aliaj and Antoine Gara in New York