Staley Didn’t Deliberately Lie About Epstein Links, Lawyer Says

A lawyer for Jes Staley said the former Barclays Plc boss never lied about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, disputing the British financial regulator’s claims that he misled authorities.

“Mr. Staley cannot be proved to be responsible for a direct and deliberate lie,” Robert Smith told a London court on Thursday, the final day of a bid to overturn Staley’s lifetime ban from the UK finance industry.

Smith said the Financial Conduct Authority had focused on minor inconsistencies in Staley’s comments about his relationship with the late pedophile financier. According to emails published as part of various legal proceedings, ...