Several Los Angeles officials have called for Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA28 Olympics committee, to resign after the release of flirtatious emails he exchanged with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. The emails were among over three million files related to Jeffrey Epstein released by the US Justice Department last week.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn told the Los Angeles Times: “Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028.” City council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Imelda Padilla, state senator Lena Gonzalez, and county supervisor Lindsey Horvath have also joined calls for his resignation.
The emails include messages where Wasserman said he thought about Maxwell frequently and asked: “So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” Other emails reference massages, and Maxwell asked if it would be foggy enough during a visit “so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”
Wasserman, 51, is chair and president of the LA28 organising committee and founder and CEO of Wasserman, a global sports marketing and talent management firm. He issued a statement saying: “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.” He denied any personal or business relationship with Epstein, though he acknowledged travelling on Epstein’s plane in 2002 as part of a Clinton Foundation delegation.
