Following the publication of emails revealing private correspondence with convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein, former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Larry Summers declared he would back out of a number of public obligations.
Summers said that he is “deeply ashamed” of what he did and took full responsibility for being in touch with Epstein in spite of the financier’s 2008 criminal sentence. He stated that he plans to stop doing public appearances and advising roles in order to concentrate on teaching.
Following the revelations, organizations such as the Center for American Progress announced that Summers would be terminating his fellowship. As the fallout intensifies, other relationships, such as media contracts and policy think tanks, are being examined or canceled.
Bipartisan condemnation of Summers’ decision and demands for a more thorough investigation of those with long-standing connections to Epstein’s network followed the House Oversight Committee’s release of the materials. Following Epstein’s conviction, senior lawmakers and academic institutions are currently discussing how these links were maintained.