(Washington, D.C.) Newly disclosed documents reveal an unusually close relationship between late Jeffrey Epstein, the U.S. sex offender, and former Harvard University President Larry Summers over several years, prompting Harvard University to announce an investigation.
Harvard University spokesman Larry Swain said in a statement to the university's student daily, The Harvard Crimson, on Tuesday (November 18): "The university is reviewing the information concerning Harvard individuals in the newly disclosed Epstein documents to assess possible actions."
Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president, is currently a Harvard professor. He stated on Monday (November 17) that he would suspend all public appearances. He said, "I am deeply ashamed of my actions, recognize the harm they have caused, and take full responsibility for my mistaken decision to continue ties with Epstein."
The U.S. House Oversight Committee released thousands of Epstein-related documents last week, including private communications between Summers and Epstein. Congress passed a resolution almost unanimously on Tuesday mandating the release of the Justice Department's files on Epstein.
The Crimson reports that the university will investigate all Harvard-related individuals involved in the documents, including Summers' wife and more than a dozen former and current university staff.
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The university will also investigate all new information disclosed in Wednesday's documents, such as the hundreds of messages exchanged between Summers and Epstein on women's issues, political topics, and Harvard-related programs.
Epstein, a New York business tycoon with close ties to numerous political and business figures, died in prison in August 2019 after being imprisoned for sex crimes. President Trump has also been implicated but maintains he has no connection to Epstein's crimes.
