Former U.S. treasury secretary Larry Summers announced his decision to withdraw from all public commitments on Monday, following President Donald Trump’s directive for the Justice Department to investigate the connections of prominent Democrats, including Summers, to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Summers, a professor at Harvard University and its former president, conveyed to the university’s student publication that he is taking this step to rebuild trust and mend relationships with his inner circle.
The move by Summers comes in the wake of the U.S. House Oversight Committee’s release of numerous files pertaining to Epstein last week, which included correspondence between Summers and Epstein. Expressing remorse for his actions, Summers admitted to The Crimson newspaper that he deeply regrets the repercussions of his interactions with Epstein and takes full responsibility for those decisions.
While he will continue fulfilling his teaching responsibilities, Summers expressed his intention to step back from public engagements as part of his broader effort to address the situation. As a Democrat, Summers held positions as treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and as head of the National Economic Council during the Obama presidency. Currently, he serves on the boards of OpenAI and the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School.
Both OpenAI and Harvard have not yet responded to requests for comments on the matter. The Epstein scandal has remained a contentious issue for Trump, who has faced criticism for spreading conspiracy theories about Epstein and alleged cover-ups by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials. The House of Representatives is set to vote on the release of investigative Epstein files, with Trump now urging fellow Republicans to support the move, despite his initial opposition.
