Harvard University has formally accepted the resignation of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers from his academic positions following revelations about his extensive communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Ivy League institution announced on Wednesday that Summers would step down from his role as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government and retire from all faculty appointments at the conclusion of the current academic year.
The development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of prominent figures connected to Epstein, with former President Bill Clinton scheduled to testify before a congressional committee on Friday regarding the financier, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to appear on Thursday.
University officials confirmed Summers’ departure was directly linked to the Epstein case, noting the economist had been on leave since the revelations emerged. In a previously circulated video statement, Summers expressed profound regret to his students, stating: “You will have seen my statement of regret expressing my shame with respect to what I did in communication with Mr. Epstein.”
The former Treasury secretary had initially stepped back from public commitments in November 2025 following congressional release of emails demonstrating his close communication with Epstein. At that time, Summers acknowledged his “misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein” and accepted full responsibility for the association. This scandal previously led to his resignation from the board of the OpenAI foundation.
While mere mention in the Epstein files does not automatically imply wrongdoing, the disclosed documents reveal numerous connections between Epstein’s circle and public figures who frequently minimized or denied such relationships. Epstein cultivated an extensive network of influential politicians, business leaders, academics, and celebrities, many of whom have faced reputational damage through their associations with him.
Harvard University disclosed that Epstein had donated $9.1 million to the institution between 1998 and 2008. The case continues to reverberate through elite circles, with numerous prominent Americans—including the Clintons and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates—experiencing reputational harm from their Epstein connections. To date, only Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell has faced legal consequences in the United States related to the case.