U.K. regulators looking at Barclays CEO’S ties to Epstein

LONDON — Barclays chief executive Jes Staley said Thursday that he deeply regrets his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, as the bank revealed that British financial regulators are investigating whether Staley disclosed the full truth about his ties to the convicted sex offender.

Barclays said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange that the two men were acquainted when Staley ran the private banking division of

JP Morgan, but that Staley had had no contact with Epstein after joining Barclays in December 2015.

The bank said the Financial Conduct Authority asked last year about the relationship, and the company responded. But it also said the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority, Britain’s banking regulator, are now investigating “Mr. Staley’s characterization to the company of his relationship with Mr. Epstein and the subsequent description of that relationship in the company’s response to the FCA.”

Staley said Thursday that he met Epstein in 2000, when he became head of JP Morgan’s private bank. He said Epstein was an existing client of the bank.

“The relationship was maintained during my time at JP Morgan but as I left JP Morgan the relationship tapered off quite significantly,” Staley said.

The board of Barclays said Thursday that it retained confidence in Staley and would recommend him for re-election at the company shareholders’ meeting in May.