Larry Summers Steps Back from Public Roles After Epstein Emails

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard University professor Larry Summers announced on Monday that he will step back from all public commitments following the release of emails revealing his continued personal correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier's 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.

The emails, part of thousands of documents made public last week by the House Oversight Committee, show Summers and Epstein exchanging messages as late as 2019, the day before Epstein's arrest on federal child sex trafficking charges. The correspondence included Summers seeking Epstein's advice on pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee. In one exchange from November 2018, Epstein referred to himself as Summers's "wing man" and offered guidance on responding to her messages. The interactions occurred well after a 2018 Miami Herald investigation highlighted Epstein's abuse of young girls, and despite Epstein's prior conviction.

In a statement provided to Harvard's student newspaper, The Crimson, Summers expressed regret over the relationship. "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have...