Lawrence Summers, a world-renowned economist and former U.S. treasury secretary who maintained ties with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender of minors, is set to step down from his Harvard professorship.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 25th (local time), Harvard Spokesperson Jason Newton said Summers will stop teaching at Harvard after the end of the current semester (late May), adding that the reason is "related to an ongoing university review of Epstein-related materials released by the government."
Summers has been on leave since November last year, when his ties with Epstein came to light, and will step down without returning to the Harvard classroom. He is a heavyweight in the progressive camp, having served as treasury secretary in the Bill Clinton administration (1999–2001), president of Harvard University (2001–2006), and chairperson of the National Economic Council (2009–2011) in the Barack Obama administration.
Summers exchanged emails with Epstein for at least seven years until March 2019, before Epstein was arrested, and in particular sought advice about an inappropriate relationship with another woman during his marriage. After the contents became public, he said he felt "deep shame for my conduct" and halted his public activities.
In a statement sent to the Harvard Crimson, Harvard's student newspaper, Summers called it a "difficult decision," saying, "As president emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward to engaging in research, analysis and commentary on a range of global economic issues." The Harvard Crimson described it as "the unusual downfall of Summers, who for a long time was one of the most influential figures in American economics."