In previously leaked emails between Staley and Epstein, Staley described their friendship as "profound" and referred to Epstein as “family.”In one email chain from 2010, Staley told Epstein: "That was fun. When Epstein asked "what character would you like next," Staley replied: "Beauty and the Beast." Staley had previously resigned from his position at Barclays in 2021 over concerns about how he characterized his relationship with Epstein to the bank and regulators. There were further allegations about how church bosses "appeared to select specific members to greet Staley and make him feel comfortable," she said. "In this case, they felt, the moral burden had shifted away from Staley and onto the people sitting around him."