Former U.S. treasury secretary Larry Summers announced on Monday his decision to withdraw from all public obligations, following President Donald Trump’s directive to the Justice Department to probe the connections between him and other notable Democrats to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Summers, a Harvard professor and former president of the university, stated in an interview with the school’s student publication that this step is aimed at rebuilding trust and repairing relationships with close acquaintances.
The move comes in the wake of the release of numerous documents related to Epstein by the U.S. House Oversight Committee last week, revealing personal exchanges between Summers and Epstein. Expressing remorse for his actions, Summers admitted to The Crimson newspaper, “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.”
While he will uphold his teaching responsibilities, Summers confirmed his retreat from public engagements as part of his broader efforts to address the situation. Summers, a member of the Democratic Party who previously served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, is currently affiliated with OpenAI and the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School. OpenAI and Harvard have not issued immediate responses to requests for comments, and Summers is yet to provide a response.
The Epstein scandal has posed challenges for Trump, with the President facing criticism for spreading conspiracy theories about Epstein. Allegations of cover-ups and lack of transparency surrounding Epstein’s suicide in a Manhattan prison have lingered, fueling skepticism among Trump supporters. Following initial reluctance, Trump urged fellow Republicans to back the vote in the House of Representatives to release investigative Epstein files, scheduled for Tuesday.