A leading economist and former university president is relinquishing his teaching and administrative duties at Harvard University pending an internal review of his communications with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The individual, who also served as U.S. Treasury Secretary, will not teach in the upcoming semester. His current co-instructors will assume responsibility for his remaining classes. Additionally, he is taking immediate leave from his directorship of a policy research center at Harvard’s Kennedy School, a position he has held for over a decade.
This move follows the recent release of a series of emails by a congressional committee, which have drawn renewed attention to the nature of their relationship. The correspondence, which continued into 2019, suggests a personal friendship that only ended shortly before Epstein’s arrest that July. Epstein died in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Just days prior to this latest announcement, the economist stated he would scale back his public commitments in light of the email disclosures but intended to continue teaching. The messages include discussions in which Epstein offered advice on a personal matter, at one point referring to himself in a supportive role.
The controversy has prompted a swift series of resignations. The economist has recently stepped down from the board of a major artificial intelligence firm and from several other prominent think tanks and advisory boards.
In a separate development, the President signed legislation this week directing the Justice Department to release additional documents related to the Epstein case. In public remarks, the President referenced the economist’s connections, among others.
Harvard University previously conducted an inquiry into its institutional ties to Epstein, finding he had donated millions to the school over a decade-long period ending in 2008. The current review focuses specifically on the newly revealed communications.