‘Project Jes’ targeted high-level figures including George Osborne and Mervyn King, emails suggest

Jeffrey Epstein deployed a consultant to push for Jes Staley to become Barclays’ chief executive in 2012, a court was told on Tuesday, with the ultimately failed campaign – called “Project Jes” – having targeted high-profile figures including chancellor George Osborne and Bank of England governor Mervyn King.

The campaign’s efforts were detailed as part of a landmark legal case launched by Staley against UK regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Staley is trying to overturn its 2023 decision to ban him from taking senior roles in the UK’s financial sector for having allegedly misled the regulator over the depth of his relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein.