Larry Summers Steps Back from Public Life Following Epstein Email Revelations
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced Monday that he will step back from most public commitments after emails revealing his continued communication with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein surfaced, prompting widespread criticism and calls for consequences.
Summers, who served as Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton and was president of Harvard University, expressed deep remorse in a statement: “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.” He said he will pause all public engagements to focus on repairing trust but plans to continue teaching at Harvard for now.
The emails, made public by the House Oversight Committee in recent weeks, show Summers maintaining a correspondence with Epstein as recently as March 2019 — notably after investigative reports had already brought Epstein’s history of sexual abuse of minors to widespread attention. The exchanges include discussions about women, politics, and attempts to solicit large donations from Epstein to Harvard-related projects, one notably connected to Summers’ wife Elisa New, a Harvard English professor emerita.
One email exchange from March 2019 depicted Summers seeking dating advice from Epstein, with Epstein replying in a tone suggesting manipulation of a romantic interest, raising additional ethical concerns about the former official’s judgment in maintaining close ties with Epstein. Summers’ communications include casual and sometimes controversial comments on women, which critics say echo attitudes that led to his earlier ouster as Harvard president.
Despite no allegations from Epstein survivors against Summers, the revelation of his ongoing relationship with Epstein has attracted sharp rebuke. Senator Elizabeth Warren condemned Summers, stating, “His willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment. If he had so little ability to distance himself from Jeffrey Epstein even after all that was publicly known about Epstein’s sex offenses involving underage girls, then Summers cannot be trusted to advise our nation’s politicians, policymakers, and institutions.” Warren and other voices have called on Harvard to sever ties with Summers.
Summers’ association with Epstein also involved soliciting donations and supporting projects with funds from Epstein, including an incident where Epstein pledged $500,000 to the poetry initiative led by Summers’ wife. These financial ties deepen the scrutiny on Summers’ judgment and ethics.
Following public backlash and media coverage, Summers’ apology marks an attempt to address the fallout, but commentators argue that the revelations reflect a pattern of poor judgment and a troubling proximity to a convicted sex offender long after his crimes became widely known. Though Summers’ teaching role remains intact for now, the controversy continues to fuel debate about accountability within academic and political elites.
This development adds to the ongoing consequences from the Epstein scandal, which continues to implicate several high-profile individuals who had relationships with Epstein despite his criminal history.
Sources: ABC News, CNN, Free Thought Blogs, Prospect, TIME, iHeart (Nov 2025)