Former Harvard President and U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is stepping back from public commitments, stating he is “deeply ashamed” of his communications with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, which continued until the day before Epstein’s 2019 arrest.
According to a report from BBC, former Harvard University president Larry Summers has announced he will step back from his public roles following the release of his emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement, Summers said, “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognise the pain they have caused.”
The emails, made public by a House committee, reveal the communications continued until July 2019, the day before Epstein’s arrest for alleged sex trafficking of minors.
Summers, a former U.S. treasury secretary, wrote, “I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein.” He added that he would be “stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort” to rebuild trust.
The report confirms the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank, has severed ties with Summers. His current position on the board of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, which he joined in 2023, is now under scrutiny.
The released emails also show Epstein tried to connect Summers with prominent global figures, while Summers once told Epstein to “spend zero effort on anything about me with Trump.”