Former Clinton and Obama Admin Official 'Deeply Ashamed' After Being Snared in Epstein Email Release
Larry Summers — the influential economist who helped shape policy under former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — is retreating from many of his public roles after the release of a stunning seven-year email trail connecting him to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Fox News, newly published transcripts from the House Oversight Committee reveal extensive correspondence between Summers and Epstein spanning from 2012 to 2019. The documents were released as part of the committee’s push for full transparency on all Epstein-related materials in the government’s possession — a process Republicans say is long overdue.
Summers, a former president of Harvard University and still a faculty member at the school, sent his initial response to The Harvard Crimson, where he offered a sweeping admission of poor judgment.
“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,” Summers wrote.
“While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort,” he added.
Summers said the decision was part of an attempt “to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me,” Fox News reported.
The messages reveal a disturbing level of familiarity. In a November 2018 email, Epstein referred to himself as Summers’ “wing man” while offering guidance on Summers’ romantic life. CNN reported that even in March 2019 — months after the Miami Herald exposed Epstein’s abuse of underage girls — Summers was still seeking Epstein’s advice about sending a note to a woman he admired.
Epstein dismissed the idea immediately, calling a note “BAD FORM.”
“Why bad form. Supposed to be face to face?” Summers replied.
“you care very much for this person. You might want to demonstrate that. a note does the very opposite,” Epstein wrote back.
Summers’ long-standing ties to the disgraced financier drew swift condemnation from within his own political camp. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who has frequently sparred with Summers over economic policy, denounced his conduct in blistering terms.
“For decades, Larry Summers has demonstrated his attraction to serving the wealthy and well-connected, but his willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment,” Warren said.
“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 — or teach a generation of students at Harvard or anywhere else.”
Summers’ fallout is already spreading. According to the BBC, the Center for American Progress — one of the premier institutions of the progressive political world — confirmed that Summers and the organization have severed ties.
The disclosures add yet another high-profile name to the growing list of influential figures entangled in Epstein’s network, raising fresh questions about how deeply his influence penetrated elite academia, finance, and politics — and why so many powerful individuals maintained contact long after his predatory behavior was publicly known.