Former Harvard University President Larry Summers has announced that he will step back from public commitments following the disclosure of his emails with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein,” Summers said in a statement obtained by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.
The emails released by the House of Representatives show that Summers, a former US Treasury Secretary, continued communicating with Epstein until the day before Epstein’s arrest in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking minors. On Tuesday, lawmakers are expected to vote on releasing all files related to Epstein.
The move follows an announcement by the US Department of Justice that it will investigate Epstein’s connections with former President Bill Clinton, who was also a friend of Epstein, as well as several prominent Democrats.
Summers previously served as US Treasury Secretary under Clinton and as Director of the National Economic Council under former President Barack Obama. He was President of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006 and is currently a professor there.
In his statement, Summers said he wants to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
“While continuing to fulfill my teaching responsibilities, I will be stepping back from public commitments as part of this broader effort,” he said.
The Center for American Progress, where Summers was a senior fellow, announced that he is no longer affiliated with the organization. Summers remains a member of the board of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
The emails released by the House indicate that Summers and Epstein met frequently, with Epstein attempting to connect Summers to other prominent global figures.
A review found that former President Trump was mentioned in over 1,600 of the 2,324 email threads, though he did not send or receive any of the released messages.
