Post by : Rameen Ariff

Larry Summers, former US Treasury Secretary and Harvard professor, has taken an unexpected leave from his teaching duties following the surfacing of new emails that illuminate his ongoing rapport with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This decision comes against the backdrop of heightened public criticism and a renewed examination of his earlier connections with Epstein.

Having once held the position of president at Harvard University, Summers had already curbed his public engagements in light of the email fallout. Recently, he also severed ties with OpenAI, the organization responsible for ChatGPT. Harvard verified that Summers will refrain from teaching his undergraduate economics classes and will step back from his directorial role at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr. Summers believes it’s best for the Center to go on leave while Harvard conducts its review,” stated his spokesperson, Steven Goldberg. Classes will carry on under his co-instructors. Summers is not anticipated to return for the next semester.

The retrieved emails indicate that Summers continued to engage with Epstein long after the latter’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution involving a minor. Some exchanges suggest that Epstein gave personal insights to Summers concerning a romantic involvement, which Summers subsequently appeared to follow up on.

Summers’ spouse, Elisa New, also had correspondence with Epstein. In a 2015 email, she expressed her gratitude for Epstein’s role in securing funds for a poetry initiative she oversees, noting that the donation “transformed everything for me.”

Despite earlier pledges to persist with his teaching role, Summers had already ignited student reactions. On Tuesday, he spoke to his undergraduate class on “The Political Economy of Globalization,” alongside a co-instructor, voicing regret regarding his communications with Epstein. Footage of his statements circulated among students, although no immediate responses were noted publicly.

The uproar has prompted numerous organizations to cut connections with Summers, including the Center for American Progress, the Center for Global Development, the Budget Lab at Yale, Bloomberg TV, and the New York Times. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren called out Summers’ associations with Epstein on social media, stating he has “cozied up to the elite—including a convicted sex offender.”

Summers held the role of US Treasury Secretary from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton and led Harvard as president from 2001 to 2006. In the wake of the email disclosures, Summers remarked last week that his associations with Epstein were a “significant error in judgment” and conveyed his “deep regrets” regarding the situation.

#Global News