Former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Emeritus Larry Summers has found himself at the center of a major controversy after newly released emails of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein revealed that the two exchanged communications until the day before Epstein’s arrest in 2019.
The revelations, which included a shocking series of emails discussing Summers’ personal life, prompted the Harvard professor emeritus to issue a statement expressing profound shame and announcing a retreat from his public activities.
Addressing the Controversy in the Classroom
Summers, who remains a professor emeritus at Harvard, opened a recent university lecture by directly addressing the controversy, a moment captured on video by one of the attendees and shared on social media.
Addressing the students, Summers publicly acknowledged the situation:
“Some of you will have seen my statement of regret, expressing my shame with respect to what I did in communication with Mr. Epstein, and that I’ve said that I’m going to step back from public activities for a time, but I think it’s very important for my teaching,” Summers said, speaking to a room full of students. “So, with your permission, I’ll talk about the material in the class,” he concluded, before proceeding with the day’s lecture.
This unusual opening served as a public commitment to maintain his teaching duties while implementing his announced decision to step away from his broader public roles.
The Damaging Email Exchanges
The emails between Summers and Epstein, part of over 20,000 documents released by the Democrat-led US House Oversight Committee, spanned from around 2002 until the time of Epstein’s arrest in 2019. Summers was identified as one of the high-profile individuals who maintained contact with the financier throughout this period.
The most damaging correspondence occurred in the final two years of Epstein’s life (2018-2019), revealing personal matters. Specifically, Summers, who has been married since 2005 to Harvard professor Elisa New, discussed his romantic pursuit of a former mentee. This individual was identified by the Harvard Crimson as Chinese Economist and former London School of Economics professor, Keyu Jin.
After the exchanges surfaced, Summers issued a comprehensive apology: “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused,” he said in a statement. “I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein.”
Institutional Fallout and Legal Developments
The fallout has led to institutional action by Harvard, where Summers previously served as President. The university announced it is conducting an internal probe into the professor:
“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,” read a statement from the University.
Meanwhile, the broader pressure to release more information related to Epstein’s activities is mounting in Washington. On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives voted on the Epstein Files Transparency Act—a discharge petition designed to force the Department of Justice to release additional Epstein files. The bill now awaits a signature from President Trump to become law.