Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for Casey Wasserman to step down as head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organising committee, citing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. In an interview with CNN late on Monday, Bass stated, “My opinion is that he should step down,” despite the LA28 board backing Wasserman to remain in his role last week.
The controversy stems from flirtatious emails between Wasserman and Maxwell from 2003, which were released in US government files days before the Milano Cortina Winter Games opened. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) initially deflected questions, calling it a matter for the LA28 board, but shifted its stance slightly on Tuesday. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, “I understand there are many conversations happening at this moment but I will not make any further comment. This is obviously a matter for the board of LA28 still at this stage.”
Wasserman has faced increasing pressure since the emails were made public, with his entertainment and sports agency losing clients including pop star Chappell Roan and former soccer star Abby Wambach. He is now in the process of selling the agency. Despite a review by outside legal counsel that cleared him to stay, Bass expressed disappointment, saying, “I think that decision was unfortunate. I don’t support the decision. I do think that we need to look at the leadership.”
Wasserman has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or Maxwell. In a statement, he said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” which occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light.” Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on five counts of sex trafficking and abuse of minors and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019, ruled a suicide, a month after being indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges.
