BOSTON (AP) — Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University and U.S. treasury secretary, has announced he will step back from public commitments. This decision comes in the wake of the release of emails that indicate he had maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein long after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.
In his statement, Summers expressed regret over his actions, stating, 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. He added that he plans to focus on rebuilding trust with those closest to him.
While the specifics regarding his stepping back haven't been detailed, it has been confirmed that Summers is concluding his fellowship at the Center for American Progress and has also exited from an advisory group at Yale University.
This announcement follows recent comments by former President Donald Trump, who indicated he would request an investigation into Summers’ relationship with Epstein, alongside inquiries into former President Bill Clinton and others. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has stated that a task force is being led to assess these connections.
The release of emails has sparked renewed scrutiny over Epstein's network of powerful acquaintances who stayed in contact with him even after his criminal conviction. Notably, Summers communicated with Epstein about personal matters via email, which raised further questions regarding his judgment.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has publicly expressed that Harvard should cut ties with Summers, asserting that he cannot be trusted around students. His willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment, she remarked.
Summers, who served as treasury secretary from 1999 to 2001 and was Harvard's president from 2001 to 2006, is now a professor and director at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard.
In his statement, Summers expressed regret over his actions, stating, 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. He added that he plans to focus on rebuilding trust with those closest to him.
While the specifics regarding his stepping back haven't been detailed, it has been confirmed that Summers is concluding his fellowship at the Center for American Progress and has also exited from an advisory group at Yale University.
This announcement follows recent comments by former President Donald Trump, who indicated he would request an investigation into Summers’ relationship with Epstein, alongside inquiries into former President Bill Clinton and others. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has stated that a task force is being led to assess these connections.
The release of emails has sparked renewed scrutiny over Epstein's network of powerful acquaintances who stayed in contact with him even after his criminal conviction. Notably, Summers communicated with Epstein about personal matters via email, which raised further questions regarding his judgment.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has publicly expressed that Harvard should cut ties with Summers, asserting that he cannot be trusted around students. His willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment, she remarked.
Summers, who served as treasury secretary from 1999 to 2001 and was Harvard's president from 2001 to 2006, is now a professor and director at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard.
