Former US Treasury Secretary and Harvard University President Lawrence ‘Larry’ Summers has announced he will be stepping back from his public commitments after the release of the Epstein files exposed years of unsettling correspondence between him and the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement issued following the release of the new trove of documents last week, the prominent economist expressed deep regret for his association with the convicted sex offender.
Shame Over Correspondence and Advice
The newly released emails, which span years of communication between Summers and Epstein (from 2013 to just months before Epstein’s 2019 arrest), reveal a close and trusting relationship between the two men.
The messages revealed that Summers, who served as US Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 and as Harvard President from 2001 to 2006, continued to communicate with Epstein long after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Most damagingly, the correspondence included:
- Sexist Comments: Emails showing Summers making sexist comments, echoing sentiments that contributed to his resignation as Harvard President in 2006.
- Romantic Advice: Messages from 2019 indicating Summers sought relationship advice from the sex offender on his pursuit of an unnamed woman, with Epstein even referring to himself as Summers’ “wing man.”
In his first statement since the emails became public, Summers said he was “deeply ashamed.”
“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. “While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
Summers’ move has already prompted action from organizations, with the left-leaning think tank, the Center for American Progress, stating that he is no longer a fellow.
Pressure on Harvard and Calls for Accountability
Summers’ announcement comes amid mounting pressure, particularly from Democratic lawmakers and former colleagues, calling for institutions like Harvard to sever all ties.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), a former Harvard Law school professor, spoke out forcefully against Summers’ continued affiliation with the Ivy League university.
“For decades, Larry Summers has demonstrated his attraction to serving the wealthy and well-connected, but his willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment,” Warren told CNN. She concluded that if Summers “had so little ability to distance himself from Jeffrey Epstein even after all that was publicly known about Epstein’s sex offenses… then Summers cannot be trusted to advise our nation’s politicians, policymakers, and institutions — or teach a generation of students at Harvard or anywhere else.”