Following the public release of correspondence between the late sex offender and the university's former president by US lawmakers, Harvard University is launching a fresh inquiry into its connections with Jeffrey Epstein.
TL;DR
- Harvard University is launching a new inquiry into its connections with Jeffrey Epstein after public release of correspondence.
- Former Harvard President Larry Summers is reducing public engagements, expressing shame for communicating with Epstein.
- Harvard previously reported receiving over $9 million in donations from Epstein between 1998 and 2008.
- Newly released documents show Epstein's communications with prominent figures, including Larry Summers discussing Donald Trump.
After the announcement, former Harvard President Larry Summers stated earlier this week that he would reduce his public engagements. Summers, who is still a professor at Harvard, indicated he would keep up with his teaching responsibilities.
“The university is conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to evaluate what actions may be warranted,” a spokesperson for the school said in a statement.
The investigation intensifies its scrutiny of Summers, 70, as he approaches the conclusion of a distinguished career in American economics, a path marked by prize-winning research and a tenure as US Treasury secretary. Earlier this week, Summers stated he was “deeply ashamed” for his conduct and accepted accountability for “my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
He offered no remarks regarding Harvard's recent inquiry, first brought to light earlier by the Harvard Crimson. In a 2020 report, the institution had previously revealed numerous ties to Epstein.
The report indicated the institution obtained over $9 million in donations from Epstein from 1998 to 2008, intended for research and faculty initiatives. It further revealed that no donations were accepted from Epstein after his 2008 conviction, stemming from his guilty plea to two sex offenses in state court. This report emerged as Epstein's connections to some of the globe's most affluent individuals and prestigious organizations were brought to light, including donations and regular trips to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Summers’ retreat from public commitments includes his role as a paid contributor to Bloomberg Television, a Bloomberg News spokesperson confirmed this week. He’s also leaving the board of OpenAI, the artificial-intelligence company said Wednesday.
Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform made public 20,000 documents originating from Epstein’s estate. This release by House Democrats contained communications between Epstein and numerous prominent individuals, such as former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed from his role as the UK ambassador to the US earlier this year.
Emails were among the documents, showing Summers discussing President Donald Trump with Epstein, who passed away in prison in 2019 following his arrest on charges of sex trafficking minors. His death was officially deemed a suicide.
Summers also sought romantic guidance from Epstein concerning a woman he fancied. The Crimson identified identified the woman as an individual who held both a bachelor's and a Ph.D. From Harvard, noting that Summers characterized her as someone he was mentoring. A representative for Summers informed the publication that the woman had never been a student of Summers.
At 28, Summers achieved tenure as a Harvard professor and received the John Bates Clark Medal, an award for Distinguished American economists under 40. He stepped down as Harvard's president in 2006 following disagreements with faculty, partly due to remarks suggesting inherent gender distinctions hindered women's success in math and science fields.
He subsequently voiced criticism regarding the institution's handling of claims of antisemitism on its grounds, asserting that Harvard required changes, despite his opposition to the Trump administration's involvement in academia. Summers held the position of Treasury secretary between 1999 and 2001 during the presidency of Bill Clinton.