Harvard Launches Review as Summers Takes Leave
Harvard University confirmed that Larry Summers is taking leave while the school investigates his and others’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Summers will stop teaching and step aside as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. A spokesperson told CBS News that Summers believes this decision is in the best interest of the Center. The university told The Harvard Crimson it is reviewing information about Harvard affiliates named in newly released Epstein documents.
Emails Show Years of Contact With Epstein
Recently released materials show that Summers exchanged emails with Epstein until the day before Epstein’s 2019 arrest for alleged sex trafficking of minors. Time stamps indicate that their communication continued more than a decade after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. The emails show discussions that included personal matters. In a November 2018 exchange, Summers asked Epstein for romantic advice and mentioned someone he described as seeing him as an “economics mentor.” Epstein referred to himself as Summers’ “wing man,” and other messages referenced frequent dinners and efforts by Epstein to connect Summers with well-known global figures.
Summers Addresses Students Before Stepping Back From Classes
Summers spoke to students on Tuesday about his communication with Epstein. In a video recorded by a student, he referenced his earlier statement of regret and said he felt shame regarding his correspondence with Epstein. He told students he intended to continue teaching the class, but on Wednesday his spokesperson said co-teachers would handle the remaining sessions and that Summers is not scheduled to teach next semester.
Public Fallout Extends to OpenAI and Other Affiliations
After Congress released more than 20,000 pages of documents from the Epstein files, Summers announced he was leaving the board of OpenAI. The company said it respected his decision and appreciated his contributions. Summers said he was grateful for the opportunity to serve and looked forward to following the company’s work. He joined the OpenAI board in 2023, after the attempted removal of CEO Sam Altman. The Center for American Progress also confirmed that Summers is no longer affiliated with the organization.
Context Around Accusations and Additional Releases
No Epstein survivor has accused Summers of wrongdoing, and there is no evidence that he was involved in any of Epstein’s criminal activity. Summers said he takes full responsibility for his “misguided decision” to continue communicating with Epstein and wants to rebuild trust with those close to him. Summers previously served as treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama, and president of Harvard from 2001 to 2006. He remains a professor at the university.
Government Moves Toward Releasing More Epstein Records
Congress passed a measure requiring the U.S. Justice Department to release its files on Epstein, potentially adding tens of thousands more documents to the public record. President Donald Trump signed the bill on Wednesday after reversing his earlier opposition following pushback from supporters.
Featured image credits: Ryan Rayburn via Flickr
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