President Trump has launched a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, accusing the bank of cutting off his financial relationships for political reasons in the aftermath of Jan. 6.
The complaint, filed Thursday in Florida state court in Miami, asserts that the country’s largest bank abruptly terminated long-standing accounts connected to the president and his businesses in early 2021, ending a relationship that had spanned decades.
“JPMC debanked [Trump and his businesses] because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit said.
According to the filing, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito argues the bank acted “without warning or remedy,” forcing Trump and related entities to relocate hundreds of millions of dollars within weeks and offering no avenue to appeal the decision. The suit contends this conduct ran contrary to JPMorgan’s own internal standards and constituted unfair and deceptive trade practices.
The complaint points to JPMorgan’s publicly stated ethics guidelines, quoting the bank’s code of conduct: “We set high expectations and hold ourselves accountable. We do the right thing — not necessarily the easy or expedient thing. We abide by the letter and spirit of the laws and regulations everywhere we do business and have zero tolerance for unethical behavior,” the lawsuit states, citing the bank’s code of conduct.
“Despite claiming to hold these principles dear, JPMC violated them by unilaterally — and without warning or remedy — terminating several of Plaintiff’s bank accounts,” the lawsuit claims.
The filing alleges the account closures were driven by what it characterizes as “political and social motivations,” asserting that JPMorgan sought to distance itself from Trump and his conservative positions following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
It further claims the bank placed Trump, members of his family, and affiliated businesses on an internal “blacklist” shared with other federally regulated banks, a move the lawsuit says resulted in widespread refusals by other institutions to do business with him and caused extensive financial and reputational damage.
“Given that Plaintiffs have always complied with all applicable banking rules and regulations and their wealth management accounts were in good standing, JPMC’s publication of President Trump, the other Plaintiffs, the Trump Organization and its affiliated entities, and/or the Trump family’s names on this blacklist, is an intentional and malicious falsehood,” the lawsuit states.
Trump alleges that by circulating those names, JPMorgan Chase engaged in “an unfair and deceptive trade practice,” arguing the bank “had no legitimate basis to do so and knew that doing so would induce, and did in fact induce, other banking institutions not to deal with them.”
Responding to the suit, a JPMorgan spokesperson told The NY Post: “JPMC does not close accounts for political or religious reasons. We do close accounts because they create legal or regulatory risk for the company.”
“We regret having to do so but often rules and regulatory expectations lead us to do so,” the spokesperson added.
“We have been asking both this Administration and prior administrations to change the rules and regulations that put us in this position, and we support the Administration’s efforts to prevent the weaponization of the banking sector.”
The lawsuit comes amid a sharp deterioration in the relationship between Trump and JPMorgan, fueled by overlapping political, regulatory, and personal disputes.
In recent months, Dimon has publicly criticized several Trump administration policies, including warning that the Justice Department’s criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell could threaten the central bank’s independence and potentially drive interest rates higher.
JPMorgan has also opposed a White House proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for a year, with executives cautioning that such a move could limit access to credit, harm consumers, and disrupt financial markets.
Tensions resurfaced again after Dimon criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement approach at the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging more restrained rhetoric and questioning aggressive ICE tactics, comments that stood out as one of the clearest public rebukes of the president by a sitting Wall Street chief.
Trump has frequently used the prospect of litigation against entities he views as adversarial.
The president has previously reached settlements with Paramount, Disney’s ABC News, YouTube, and Meta over disputes tied to interviews, broadcast remarks, and the suspension of his social media accounts after Jan. 6.
Those matters were resolved without admissions of wrongdoing, with the companies opting to pay tens of millions of dollars rather than engage in extended court battles.
{Matzav.com}
At a somber asifah held at the Chanichei HaYeshivos beis medrash in the Ramot neighborhood of Yerushalayim, sharp remarks were delivered in the wake of a series of tragedies that struck the local community. The gathering followed the killing of yeshiva bochur Yossi Eisenthal z”l during a protest against the draft, as well as the murder of community members in a terror attack at the Ramot junction.
The central address was delivered by Rav Mechel Zilber, who spoke forcefully about the events surrounding the fatal bus-ramming that claimed the life of the young bochur. His words focused in particular on the minutes leading up to the incident and the behavior of those who surrounded the bus.
“I want to tell you,” Rav Zilber said at the outset, “that the attribute of Divine judgment struck this young boy. This is a heavenly secret. He ascended to the Heavenly Yeshiva. He has no problem. The problem is ours.”
While stressing that responsibility for the act itself rests with the Arab driver, Rav Zilber said that others bore moral responsibility for what unfolded. “The driver is an Arab who was provoked,” he said. “But you should know that anyone who provoked him is a murderer by accident. The Arab—may his name and memory be erased—but after all, they provoked him. Every single one needs to go to his rebbi and ask what kind of tikkun is required for accidental murder.”
Rav Zilber emphasized that his remarks were not directed at specific individuals, but at the broader ציבור. “I know Arabs. I’m from Tiveriah,” he said. “An Arab is willing to kill Jews, but he is afraid. There, they removed his fear because they provoked him. I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular. I am speaking to all of Klal Yisroel.”
{Matzav.com}In an unusual and symbolic gesture, the Gerer Rebbe recently sent the famed silver bowl that graces his table on Shabbos and at tishen as a personal gift to a leading benefactor in the United States.
The recipient of the rare present is Reb Yosef Aryeh Breiner of Borough Park, a prominent supporter of Torah causes and one of the major backers of the Toraso initiative in Ger. The gift was sent on behalf of the Rebbe by Rabbi Yaakov Eisen, director of the organization.
Within the Gerer chassidic court, outward symbols of royalty are notably restrained compared to other chassidic dynasties. The Rebbe does not don white garments or ornate bekitches, does not carry a silver staff, and does not wear a decorative crown atop his tallis. As a result, the silver bowl that sits on his table has become one of the most recognizable and meaningful symbols associated with the Gerer Rebbe.
The silver bowl is placed before the Rebbe at every tish, on Shabbos and Yom Tov, at family celebrations, and even at simchos held outside the main beis medrash. Over the years, it has become closely identified with the Rebbe’s presence and the avodah of the Gerer chassidus.
The decision to present this historic item to Rabbi Breiner was made as an expression of deep appreciation for his exceptional support of Toraso, an initiative especially dear to the Rebbe. The program spearheads a major effort to strengthen bekius and memorization-based Torah learning among kollel members, while also encouraging thousands of Gerer chassidim who are working baalei batim to master Torah baal peh.
{Matzav.com}
A mysterious and striking incident took place at the ancient Jewish cemetery in Peshischa, the site of the kevorim of generations of the tzaddikei Beis Peshischa. In recent years, large numbers of visitors have been arriving at the site, particularly since the establishment of the hachnasas orchim building there.
This week, a local non-Jewish woman, who together with her husband had safeguarded the keys to the tziyun for decades, passed away at the entrance to the gravesite. Visitors to the cemetery were accustomed to calling the couple upon arrival, and they would open the ohel in all weather conditions, throughout the year.
According to sources, the caretaker collapsed and died of cardiac arrest at the entrance to the site after a group of mispallelim concluded their tefillos. She had come to lock up the ohel when she suddenly collapsed. Her passing occurred just one month after the death of her husband, who had long been regarded as the guardian of the site.
The ohel itself was constructed many years ago by emissaries of the Vaad for Peshischa, at the initiative of the Gerer Rebbe. It was built on the precise location of the graves, based on testimony from elderly residents of the town who remembered the site from before World War II. Responsibility for guarding the tziyun was passed down within the family, from the original caretaker to his son, who, as noted, passed away a month ago after suffering paralysis in recent years. This week, his wife died at the very entrance to the tziyun.
Dovid Rubinstein, director of Der Biala Hoif in Peshischa, said that a number of changes have been implemented at the site in recent years, including upgrades to the facility. He noted that access to the tziyun is now also controlled by a coded entry system.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump disclosed that the United States military employed a previously undisclosed “secret sonic” weapon during the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, while boasting that no other country possesses the technology and highlighting what he described as America’s unmatched military capabilities.
Speculation about the use of a sonic device intensified after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the equipment deployed in the raid caused Venezuelan troops to suffer severe physical reactions, including nosebleeds and vomiting blood.
Despite the growing attention, Trump declined to offer specifics when asked about the weapon during an interview on the NewsNation program Katie Pavlich Tonight, adopting a notably guarded tone.
When host Pavlich asked whether Americans should be worried about the weapon’s strength, Trump reacted with a raised eyebrow and replied, “Well, yeah.”
He then added, “It’s something I don’t wanna…nobody else has it,” before continuing, “But we have weapons nobody else knows about.”
Trump went on to say, “And, I say it’s probably good not to talk about it, but we have some amazing weapons.”
Reflecting on the operation itself, he remarked, “That was an amazing attack,” without elaborating further.
As uncertainty remains over the exact nature of the device, Russia has demanded additional details from Washington. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has assigned its special services to seek more clarity regarding Trump’s comments.
Sonic weapons are designed to incapacitate targets through powerful sound waves. Some systems emit concentrated, painful beams aimed directly at individuals, while others rely on higher-frequency sounds that can affect people differently depending on their hearing range.
Such weapons are known to trigger symptoms including headaches, disorientation, balance issues, confusion, and, in some cases, lasting hearing damage.
According to Leavitt, however, the effects of the U.S. device were even more extreme. Citing an eyewitness account from someone who claimed to be among Maduro’s guards, she said the individual was unable to remain standing after the weapon was activated.
“At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it,” the statement said, as quoted by Fox News. “It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly, I felt like my head was exploding from the inside.”
“We all started bleeding from the nose,” the account continued. “Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon — or whatever it was.”
The witness added that he had “never seen anything like it.”
Venezuela’s interior minister said the assault on Maduro’s compound resulted in at least 100 deaths, according to Reuters, though it remains unclear whether any of those fatalities were directly linked to the sonic weapon.
While the deployment of sonic weapons is not prohibited under international law, members of Congress have raised questions about the legality of Trump’s decision to seize the Venezuelan president.
Commenting on the aftermath of the raid, Trump said, “It’s a whole different Venezuela, and Venezuela is going to be very successful, and the people of the United States are going to be big beneficiaries.”
He later wrote on Truth Social that “BIG OIL” intended to invest “at least 100 billion dollars” in Venezuela.
{Matzav.com}
