Larry Summers to Resign From Harvard Amid Epstein Controversy
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from his teaching position at Harvard University at the end of the current academic year, following scrutiny over his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision comes as Harvard conducts a review of documents detailing Summers’ connections to Epstein, recently released by the Department of Justice and Congress.
“I have made the difficult decision to retire from my Harvard professorship at the end of this academic year,” Summers said in a statement. He expressed gratitude for the “thousands of students and colleagues” he has worked with during his 50 years at Harvard, beginning as a graduate student.
Summers, who also served as president of Harvard from 2001 to 2006, went on leave from the university in November after the release of emails and other communications between himself and Epstein. He also resigned from the board of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company, at that time.
While Summers has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, he acknowledged feeling “deeply ashamed” of his actions and stated his intention to step back from public commitments to “repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton confirmed Summers’ resignation, stating that he will remain on leave until his retirement takes effect at the end of the academic year. Newton also noted that Summers had previously resigned as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School in connection with the university’s ongoing review of the Epstein-related documents.
Since leaving the presidency in 2006, Summers held the position of Charles W. Eliot University Professor, described by the university as one of its most distinguished professorial roles. He also served as director of the National Economic Council during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011, and as Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton from 1999 to 2001.
The release of documents by the House Oversight Committee in November sparked the renewed scrutiny of Summers’ relationship with Epstein. Dozens of messages between the two were included in the released materials. The university initiated its review following the release of these documents.
Looking ahead, Summers indicated his intention to continue engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on global economic issues, even after stepping down from his formal role at Harvard. “Free of formal responsibility, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward in time to engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues,” he said.
