Harvard University is launching a new investigation into former president Larry Summers over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of thousands of documents from a congressional oversight committee. The inquiry will also examine other university affiliates named in the documents, including Summers's wife, Elisa New, and nearly a dozen others.
Summers, who served as US Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton, has resigned from the board of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT. In a statement, OpenAI said it respected his decision. Summers has also stepped down from roles at Bloomberg, the New York Times, and the Center for American Progress think tank.
The newly released documents include emails between Epstein and Summers, in which Summers appears to seek advice from Epstein on pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as his mentee. In one 2018 message, Epstein called himself Summers's 'wingman'. Summers has expressed deep shame over his actions and said he is stepping back from public engagements to rebuild trust.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticised Summers, saying he showed 'monumentally bad judgment' and should not be trusted to teach or advise the government. Summers indicated he still plans to teach at Harvard.
Harvard's investigation follows a previous review of the university's ties to Epstein, which found that Epstein donated about $9 million to the school between 1998 and 2008. The new probe comes after a congressional committee released nearly 23,000 documents relating to Epstein, including correspondence with several public figures.
