Judge warns JPMorgan Chase in Jeffrey Epstein evidence issue
A New York federal judge warned JPMorgan Chase that he might find the bank in contempt of court if it does not speed up in producing evidence related to late sexual offender and money manager Jeffrey Epstein for lawsuits by an Epstein accuser and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, CNBC has learned.
Judge Jed Rakoff suggested in a notice that JPMorgan and two law firms representing the bank have been slow-walking in turning over documents and other evidence to plaintiffs in the case, under a process known as discovery, according to a source familiar with the notice.
The notice comes two weeks before JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled to be questioned under oath by plaintiffs' lawyers for the civil suits, which accuse his bank of enabling and benefiting from Epstein's alleged sex trafficking of young women.
"The Court also wishes to note that it is concerned that JPMorgan is not moving more expeditiously to produce responsive documents," Rakoff wrote in the notice, which has yet to appear on the public docket in the case in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
"While the Court appreciates the large volume of discovery that is to be completed in this case, a company as large as JPMorgan and counsel as experienced as WilmerHale and Massey & Gail should be able to move with greater speed than what was revealed by this incident," the judge wrote, referring to the bank's two law firms.
"So JPMorgan is put on notice that further expedition will be needed on pain of being put in contempt of Court," Rakoff wrote.
A JPMorgan spokesperson had no comment on the notice.
Source: CNBC
