'Deeply ashamed': Former US Treasury chief steps back from public roles after Epstein emails surface

ISTANBUL

Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Monday that he is withdrawing from public-facing roles after newly surfaced emails revealed his long-running private communications with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to US media.

“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused,” Summers said in a statement to POLITICO.

“I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein. While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me,” he added.

The unearthed emails show Summers, who served under former President Bill Clinton and later advised former President Barack Obama, repeatedly sought Epstein’s guidance in pursuing a woman he described as his mentee.

In one exchange, Epstein called himself the economist’s “wing man,” while another message revealed Summers suggesting that women in aggregate have a lower IQ than men.

The fallout widened Monday as a senior Trump administration official and Sen. Elizabeth Warren urged institutions to cut ties with Summers.

His future now appears uncertain at Harvard University, the Center for American Progress (CAP), Bloomberg News and OpenAI, where he holds various teaching, advisory, or board roles.

A spokesperson for Summers declined to comment on the status of those positions, according to POLITICO. Bloomberg did not comment, and neither Harvard nor OpenAI responded to inquiries, the outlet added.

CAP said earlier it was “reviewing last week’s disclosures to determine appropriate next steps.”