JPMorgan Chase executive Lorna Hajdini has countersued a former employee for defamation after he accused her of making him her 'sex slave', allegations she has vehemently denied.
Background of the Case
The ex-banker originally filed a lawsuit containing explosive claims against Ms. Hajdini, including racial abuse, sexual assault, and being drugged. However, the 37-year-old senior executive has now taken legal action, branding the accusations as entirely false and fabricated.
The defamation suit was submitted to the New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday, alleging that the former employee orchestrated a months-long campaign to destroy her reputation in an attempt to extort millions of dollars from her and JPMorgan.
Details of the Countersuit
Ms. Hajdini's legal team stated: 'These allegations are entirely false, malicious, and fabricated, and were concocted for the improper purpose of personal enrichment at the expense of defendants and others.' The lawsuit further claims that the ex-banker had previously made up similar allegations of sexual misconduct against a supervisor at a prior job.
The court filings emphasize that Ms. Hajdini seeks to 'vindicate her name, mitigate the substantial damage inflicted upon her, and hold the plaintiff accountable for his depraved and unlawful conduct.'
Response from JPMorgan
A JPMorgan spokesperson expressed full support for Ms. Hajdini, stating: 'We fully support Lorna and her right to defend herself and protect her reputation. As we have said from the outset, we don’t believe the allegations against her or the firm have merit.'
The initial lawsuit from the former employee was temporarily withdrawn for 'corrections' and refiled in early May with what he claimed was new evidence, including testimony from an anonymous family friend about an alleged threesome invitation.
An internal investigation by JPMorgan found no evidence of wrongdoing, and the former staff member was accused of fabricating the claims after attempting to negotiate a multimillion-dollar payoff to leave the company.
