'Deeply ashamed': Ex-Harvard president apologizes for emails to Jeffrey Epstein
What's the story
Larry Summers, the former President of Harvard University, has announced his decision to step back from public commitments. This comes after emails between him and Jeffrey Epstein were released. "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused," Summers said in a statement to CBS News. He took full responsibility for his decision to continue communicating with Epstein, acknowledging that their correspondence extended into 2019, the year of Epstein's arrest for sex trafficking minors.
Email revelations
Emails with Epstein reveal frequent meetings
The emails released by US Congress last week show that Summers and Epstein frequently met for dinner. Epstein often tried to connect Summers with prominent global figures. In July 2018, Epstein suggested a meeting with the "president [sic] of united nations, interesting person for you." After Donald Trump's first election in 2016, Summers told Epstein to "spend zero effort on anything about me with Trump."
Career overview
Past roles and current status
Summers served as US Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton and was the Director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama. He was Harvard's President from 2001 to 2006 and is currently a professor at the university. Despite stepping back from public commitments, Summers still remains on OpenAI's board, which he joined in 2023 after a failed attempt to oust its CEO Sam Altman.
Organization exit
Center for American Progress announces Summers's departure
Summers was a senior fellow at The Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington DC. It has announced that he is no longer affiliated with the organization.