Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers announced Monday that he will “step back from public engagement” following the release of communications documents between him and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Summers, now a professor at Harvard University, said that while he would “continue to fulfill my teaching duties,” stepping down from public roles is “one part of my broader effort to restore trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
Summers recognition and responsibility
In his public statement to the media, Summers expressed deep regret for his communication with Epstein.
He used strong expressions to express his regret:
“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and acknowledge the pain they have caused.
“I take full responsibility for my erroneous decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
Context of published documents
The correspondence was made public by US lawmakers – specifically the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform – which released over 20,000 documents from Epstein’s estate last week.
The documents revealed that Summers and Epstein continued to exchange messages until July 5, 2019 — just one day before Epstein’s arrest on new sex-trafficking charges. Epstein later died by suicide in prison in August 2019. The exchange included discussions of topics such as President Donald Trump.
Remaining academic commitments
Despite stepping down from public engagements, Summers confirmed that he would retain his primary roles at Harvard. He holds Harvard’s highest faculty honor as University Professor and serves as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, a position he will continue to hold.
Political and academic impact
The release of the communications led to immediate calls for further action against Summers. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA), a former professor at Harvard Law School, publicly stated that Harvard University should “cut ties with Summers”, arguing that his past relationship with Epstein meant that students could not trust him.
