Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for Casey Wasserman to step down as head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organising team, 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 Wasserman receiving backing from the LA28 organising board last week.
The controversy erupted after flirtatious emails from Wasserman to Maxwell, written in 2003, were published in a release of US government files just days before the Milano Cortina Winter Games opened. The International Olympic Committee initially deflected questions, describing it as a matter for the LA28 board, but its language shifted 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.'
Bass acknowledged that she cannot unilaterally remove Wasserman, noting, 'I cannot fire him.' However, she publicly stated her view that he should leave, adding that the board's decision to support him was 'unfortunate.' She emphasised that her priority remains ensuring Los Angeles is fully prepared to host 'the best Olympics that has ever happened in Olympic history.'
The fallout has affected Wasserman's entertainment and sports agency, which lost clients including pop star Chappell Roan and former soccer star Abby Wambach. Wasserman is now in the process of selling the agency. The LA board's support came after an outside legal review of his contacts with Epstein and Maxwell, which he cooperated with.
Wasserman has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or Maxwell. In a statement issued before travelling to Milan, 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 sex trafficking charges and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
