Larry Summers says he is stepping back from public commitments after Epstein emails released

WASHINGTON — Former US treasury secretary Larry Summers says he will step back from all public commitments, days after President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate his and other prominent Democrats’ ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Summers, a former president of Harvard University, where he is a professor, tells the university’s student newspaper that the move was to allow him “to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”

The announcement comes after the House Oversight Committee released thousands of files related to Epstein last week, including documents that showed personal correspondence between Summers and Epstein.

“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,” Summers tells The Crimson.

“While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort,” Summers adds.

Summers, a Democrat, served as former president Bill Clinton’s Treasury Secretary and former president Barack Obama’s National Economic Council director. He currently serves on the board of OpenAI and as a director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.

OpenAI and Harvard don’t immediately respond to requests for comments. Summers also doesn’t immediately respond.