Congress

Jes Staley tells House Oversight he spoke with JPMorgan CEO about Epstein’s crimes

Published

2 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Jes Staley — a former top executive at JPMorgan who fought to keep Jeffrey Epstein as a client at the bank after Epstein became a convicted sex offender — told the House Oversight Committee Thursday that he spoke to JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon at least twice about Epstein’s criminal exposure.

According to a transcript of his closed-door remarks, obtained by Blue Light News, Staley said he spoke to Diamond about Epstein on two occasions: once in 2006, when Epstein was first indicted, and another in 2008, when Epstein was in jail.

Staley’s recollection, which he has shared versions of in previous depositions over the years, deviates from what Dimon previously said under oath in a deposition before federal prosecutors, namely that he and Staleynever discussed the matter of whether to retain Epstein as a client.

It also increases the possibility that the House Oversight Committee could at some point call Dimon in for questioning about how JPMorgan was allegedly complicit in allowing Epstein to withdraw huge sums of money he used to traffick young girls and women for years.

It also reinforces the reality that the year-long congressional Epstein investigation could have no end in sight, as more witnesses give reason for lawmakers to continue the inquiry.

“No such conversation ever occurred, and Staley lacks credibility,” Patricia Wexler, a spokesperson for JPMorgan, said in a statement Thursday. “A UK tribunal found Staley to be evasive and unreliable.”

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority banned Staley, also the former CEO of Barclays, from holding senior management roles in the British financial services industry after finding that Staley misrepresented his relationship with Epstein; a U.K. tribunal said that Staley “lacked credibility” and “has shown no remorse for his conduct.”

A spokesperson for Staley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democrats were already on the warpath for Staley Thursday, emerging mid-interview to complain their witness was being evasive and pledging to bring him back to testify under oath if the party retakes the majority in the midterms.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, lamented that the interview was not done in public view and under the terms of a deposition, and suggested he would recall Staley to testify again under more restrictive arrangements if he becomes chair next year.

“What’s happening right now is a good reason why all of these interviews need to be under oath, and we need honest questions. So Staley is clearly, in our opinion, just not being truthful and flat out lying,” Garcia told reporters. “The reality is, he’s claiming first that he had no real friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. I mean, that is just ridiculous.”

He added, “This is someone that chose to work with a person that he knew had been convicted already of sex crimes.”

House Oversight Chair James Comer of Kentucky told reporters that Staley was “very close friends with Mr. Epstein” and “defended Epstein time and time again in front of JP Morgan, regardless of all the red flags to keep him as a client.”

At one point, according to a portion of the transcript transcribed by Blue Light News, Democratic investigators asked Staley whether the cash withdrawals had to do with sexual abuse or paying women for sexual abuse.

Staley replied no, adding that it was shocking to him that Epstein would continue to abuse minors after doing a stint in jail for it.

Epstein was ultimately convicted years later for sex trafficking and died by suicide behind bars in 2019.

Congress

Ted Cruz eyes bill to address ‘catastrophic risk’ caused by AI

Published

5 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz said in an interview Thursday he is looking to take up legislation to address the “catastrophic risk” posed by artificial intelligence — increasingly top of mind after a major OpenAI security incident this week.

It’s a first glimpse at the types of bills that could be on the agenda for a big markup of AI and kids’ online safety measures the Texas Republican plans to hold the first week of August, and about which he has been largely secretive.

“Look, it’s deeply concerning, and there are undoubted risks and catastrophic risks that that AI potentially brings, and how the government deals with those risks and minimizes the chance of harm is a difficult policy question that Congress is wrestling with,” Cruz said.

OpenAI earlier this week disclosed that its most powerful model available to the public, and another that has yet to be released, were both able to break free of a controlled laboratory test and hack into another AI developer platform — the first documented caseof a fully autonomous AI cyberattack.

Cruz said Thursday that legislation confronting this scenario is “among the topics we are looking at for the markup,” but declined to say whether he was writing a bill to address it — or if he was working across the aisle on a bipartisan proposal.

“More to come,” he said. “We are negotiating with the Democrats and deciding — trying to find the bills that have the best maximum positive impact and also best chance of bipartisan support and passing law.”

Cruz’s aides, granted anonymity to speak freely, have previously said that the Commerce Committee chair believes in very targeted federal action to address issues like catastrophic risk or deepfakes — rather than a massive regulatory framework for AI.

The Senate Commerce markup on AI legislation was supposed to happen the last week of July but was pushed back amid continued jockeying over which bills would be included on the docket.

There has, in particular, been confusion over the fate of a forthcoming package from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who has been working with the White House to pair a kids’ online safety measure with provisions to preempt state AI laws.

That effort suffered a blow this week when President Donald Trump declined to back the effort. Cruz, on his podcast Thursday, took credit for that decision, saying he announced during a White House meeting with Trump and Blackburn that Blackburn’s emerging framework would not have the votes to pass the Senate.

Trump was ready to hit “send” on a Truth Social post endorsing the Blackburn proposal before Cruz interjected, the Texas senator said.

Blackburn’s office did not return a request for comment about Cruz’s version of events, and Cruz said Thursday in an interview he has not spoken to Blackburn since their visit to the Oval Office.

Cruz could also include in his markup a new bill he introduced Thursday with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) that would create a commission to study AI developments — focusing on bioethics — and report the findings to Congress.

Congress

Senate adding Iran sanctions to Russia bill

Published

6 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senators are adding financial penalties against Iran to a bipartisan Russia sanctions package they are hoping to move before the August recess, Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday.

“It was a late add,” Thune told reporters. “I think everybody’s fine with it because we would do it anyway. Iran sanctions is something we’ve had in place for the last 30 years.”

Senators have been trying to pass a bipartisan bill sanctioning Russia and buyers of its oil for months, but the effort has taken on new momentum after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was one of the bill’s main champions.

President Donald Trump threw a curveball into the bill’s path over the weekend when he posted on social media that sanctions against Iran should be added into the bill.

Thune, however, said that he believes the Senate could pass the revised sanctions package before they leave for the August recess.

“I’ve been having conversations with Democrats and folks on our side, and I think we’re homing in on it,” Thune said. “So I’m hoping we can get it teed up, and then if we could get some sort of limited time agreement to help expedite it on the floor, that would help too.”

Congress

Mark Sanford launches Senate bid in South Carolina special election

Published

7 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Former South Carolina representative, governor and onetime presidential candidate Mark Sanford entered the crowded race for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat on Thursday.

“We’re at a tipping point, and that’s why I’ve decided to run for the U.S. Senate,” Sanford said in a launch video. “I’d ask that you look at my record in Congress and as governor in watching out for your family’s future.”

Sanford, who left Congress in 2019, is a longtime fixture in South Carolina politics, known for his fiscal conservatism. He earned national notoriety after an extramarital affair during his time as governor and his criticism of President Donald Trump, including a short-lived 2020 primary challenge.

He is the latest high-profile entrant in a crowded field that includes Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late senator; Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman; and businessman Mark Lynch, among others. President Donald Trump has already endorsed Graham, who was appointed to fill her brother’s seat for the duration of his term.

A special primary election will be held on Aug. 11 to select the Republican nominee for a full six-year term.

Sanford was first elected to Congress in 1994, in the same class as the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. He served for three terms, was elected South Carolina governor in 2002, and was reelected to the House in a special election in 2013. Sanford launched a campaign for his old seat this cycle, but abandoned the bid after a month to launch a debt-focused nonprofit.

A budget hawk, Sanford pointed to the country’s national debt as a motivating factor for his Senate bid now.

“I’m worried for our children because for the first time, America is borrowing from the future faster than we’re building it,” Sanford said in the video. “We’ll add about a trillion dollars to the national debt over the next 100 days, and if left unaddressed, that debt will crush our economy. It’ll wipe out our savings, and it could even destroy our republic.”