Harvard and Bard face fresh questions from lawmakers over ties to Epstein

Harvard University and Bard College are facing renewed scrutiny from lawmakers over their historical connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex trafficker. Allegations suggest Epstein exploited his relationships with these institutions and their faculty to traffic women while simultaneously using them to enhance his reputation and evade detection.

Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, stated that both Harvard and Bard had previously undertaken investigations into their respective universities' and leaderships' involvement in facilitating Epstein's abuses. However, Raskin contends that these attempts were either unsuccessful or failed to provide a complete accounting of the events.

Raskin has specifically requested that Bard College make its outgoing president, Leon Botstein, available for a transcribed interview. Botstein is expected to retain a role at the college. He also seeks records pertaining to Epstein's donations, communications, admissions, interactions, and institutional decision-making processes at Bard, along with the full findings of an internal review conducted by the college.

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It is time for Harvard, like the rest of America, to come clean and engage in the comprehensive accounting that will allow us to learn from this nightmare, take appropriate legislative action, and make sure nothing like it ever happens again.

Similarly, Raskin is pursuing extensive records from Harvard. These include all documents, financial records, and communications related to Epstein's funding of research and his personal interactions with faculty members. Raskin criticized Harvard's prior investigations in 2008 and 2019 as incomplete at best and misleading at worst. He noted that these internal reviews failed to identify donations Epstein made after Harvard banned such contributions in 2008, as well as the full extent of his relationships with faculty, including former Harvard President Larry Summers, and the depth of his involvement in student admissions and faculty research.

"It is time for Harvard, like the rest of America, to come clean and engage in the comprehensive accounting that will allow us to learn from this nightmare, take appropriate legislative action, and make sure nothing like it ever happens again," Raskin urged Harvard President Alan Garber in a letter. Harvard announced in February that Summers would resign from teaching at the end of the academic year, following the Justice Department's release of Epstein files that detailed Summers's frequent communications with Epstein on various topics, including politics and women. Summers has acknowledged his "misguided decision" to continue communicating with Epstein and expressed deep shame for his actions.

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I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein.