Transcription
Some of you will have seen my statement of regret expressing my shame with respect to what I did in communication with Mr. Epstein.
In what illustrates a stunning fall from grace, viral video filmed by a student shows ex-treasury secretary and Harvard Professor Larry Summers opening a class this week by addressing the trove of newly released documents that reveal his communications with Jeffrey Epstein. This all comes as Harvard University probes the freshly released batch of emails between the convicted pedophile and Summers, as well as others connected to the university, the Harvard Crimson and Boston Globe first reported. 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, Harvard spokesman Jason Newton told the New York Times.
The controversy erupted last week when the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released more than 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein's estate revealing a chummy relationship between Summers and the notorious pedophile. The emails show Summers maintained regular contact with Epstein for years after his 2008 conviction up until his 2019 arrest. The pair traded personal updates and sought advice from one another even as fresh reporting detailed Epstein's abuse of underage girls. In one missive, Summers joked that women were less intelligent than men. The emails also documented Summers discussing a woman he was pursuing and asking Epstein for guidance.
On Monday, Summers said in a statement obtained by the post that he would be stepping back from public commitments amid the fallout. "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused," he said. "I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein." Summers explained that stepping away from his public commitments at Harvard is part of a broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to him, but that he would continue to fulfill his teaching obligations at the Ivy League.
In a further blow to his career and reputation, Summers later resigned his position on the board of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, in the wake of the firestorm. The New York Times also opted not to continue its relationship with him. The newspaper reported that his one-year opinion contract will not be renewed in light of the emails.
Summers served as the Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton and as the director of the White House National Economic Council under President Barack Obama. He has taught economics at Harvard dating back to 1983 and led the university from 2001 to 2006.