Key facts
- Lawmakers are demanding further information from Harvard and Bard College regarding their connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
- Representative Jamie Raskin is seeking records and interviews from both universities.
- Raskin is requesting details on Epstein's donations, communications, and faculty relationships at Harvard.
- Bard's outgoing president, Leon Botstein, is being asked for a transcribed interview.
- A Bard-initiated investigation found Botstein's actions related to Epstein were not illegal but lacked candor and accuracy.
- Harvard's former president, Larry Summers, had frequent communications with Epstein, according to released emails.
US lawmakers are intensifying scrutiny of Harvard University and Bard College over their past relationships with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has sent letters to both institutions demanding extensive records and interviews, alleging that their previous investigations into Epstein's influence were insufficient.
Raskin is seeking detailed information from Harvard concerning Epstein's financial contributions and personal relationships with faculty, including former Harvard president Larry Summers. Emails revealed frequent communication between Summers and Epstein on various topics. Raskin stated that Harvard's prior investigations in 2008 and 2019 failed to uncover Epstein's donations made after a ban was instituted and the full extent of his faculty interactions.
At Bard College, Raskin has requested an interview with outgoing president Leon Botstein, who is stepping down after over 50 years. An internal review by Bard concluded that Botstein's actions related to Epstein were not illegal but noted "substantial lapses in leadership and candor" and inaccuracies in his public descriptions of the relationship. The review also found Botstein did not fully disclose consulting fees from an Epstein entity and underestimated the reputational risk to Bard.
Raskin aims to understand how Epstein leveraged his connections in higher education to maintain and expand his illegal activities. He has set a July 1 deadline for both universities to provide the requested information.