A longtime former Harvard professor has been exposed in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files for sending a simpering email that celebrated the convicted sex offender's release from prison. Stephen Kosslyn, 77, who served as chair of the psychology department and dean of social sciences at the Ivy League institution during the late 1990s, is at the centre of this unfolding scandal.
Deepening Ties with Epstein
Kosslyn was specifically named and shamed in Harvard's 2020 report investigating the university's close connections with Epstein. The report identified him as the professor who significantly deepened the relationship by recommending Epstein for a prestigious Visiting Fellow role, which was granted in 2005. This recommendation came despite Epstein's lack of academic qualifications for conducting research, a fact Kosslyn later admitted when Harvard began probing its professors' ties to the financier.
Celebratory Email Exchange
When Epstein was released from Palm Beach County jail in July 2009 after serving 13 months for solicitation and prostitution involving a minor, he promptly emailed Kosslyn with the message: 'Home and free'. Despite Epstein's sordid conviction, Professor Emeritus Kosslyn enthusiastically celebrated his release, responding: 'HI Jeffrey!!!!! THIS IS FABULOUS!'
Kosslyn added in his email: 'I'm currently in San Francisco, about to go to San Diego today. I'll give you a quick call at some point just to check in,' before signing off simply as 'S'. This exchange reveals the disturbingly casual and celebratory tone Kosslyn adopted regarding a convicted sex offender's return to freedom.
Ongoing Relationship After Conviction
Kosslyn maintained close contact with Epstein even after his conviction on child sex crimes. According to prison house logs, the professor visited Epstein while he was incarcerated. Their relationship extended to academic matters, with Kosslyn often discussing science with Epstein and describing him as the 'only collaborator' on one of his sociology theories in a letter of recommendation seen by the New York Times.
'I wish I could have even a single student who asks such good questions,' Kosslyn wrote about Epstein in the recommendation letter, demonstrating the high regard in which he held the financier despite his criminal background.
Financial Connections and Ongoing Probe
Epstein began donating to Harvard in 1998, and by the time of his 2006 arrest in Florida, he had sent 22 gifts to the university totaling $8.4 million. Among these donations was $200,000 specifically directed to support Kosslyn's research. Despite Epstein's lack of qualifications and minimal academic contribution beyond financial donations, he was approved for a second year as a Visiting Fellow in 2006.
Harvard spokesman Jason Newton told the New York Times that the investigation into Kosslyn and others' connections to Epstein remains ongoing. 'The university will continue to evaluate, based on its ongoing review, what additional actions may be warranted considering information that has come to light in these documents,' Newton stated.
Further Revelations and Context
When Kosslyn published a book in 2013, he told Epstein he would email and autograph a copy for him, and even listed the sex offender in the author's notes without apparent shame. These revelations come as the U.S. government continues to release files related to Epstein's correspondences, including the emails he shared with Kosslyn.
Epstein, who provided tax and estate services to billionaires and cultivated connections with the rich and famous over decades, was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008. He was later indicted in 2019 for sex trafficking minors throughout the 2000s. Epstein died in custody while awaiting trial, with his death officially ruled a suicide.
The scandal has had wider repercussions, with Pam Bondi, 60, recently fired from her role as attorney general after months of controversy over her handling of the Epstein files. The Daily Mail has contacted Kosslyn for comment regarding these latest revelations from the Epstein documents.
