The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is standing by its Los Angeles 2028 committee chairman despite his newly revealed association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
During a Thursday news conference, the USOPC said it did not need to comment beyond chairman Casey Wasserman’s expression of regret after his emails to Epstein appeared among the more than 3 million files about the disgraced financier that were released last week by the Department of Justice.
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Wasserman faces calls to step down
Among the files were emails between Wasserman, Epstein and Epstein’s longtime girlfriend and associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“I think of you all the time,” Wasserman wrote to Maxwell, according to The Athletic. “So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
Maxwell is now serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse minors.
Wasserman has not been accused of any crimes. Nevertheless, since his appearance in the files, many have called for him to step down.
“If LA28 is very proud of women being in record numbers at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as they’ve been talking about, they need to have a leader who maybe isn’t affiliated with a convicted human trafficker,” said L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
‘Deeply regrets’ emails
In a statement, Wasserman said he was sorry about the emails but added that he never had a close relationship with Epstein.
“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” Wasserman said. “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
Now, the USOPC says Wasserman’s statement is sufficient.
“We have nothing to add to that statement,” USOPC chair Gene Sykes said Thursday. “It sort of stands on its own.”
Sykes went on to express support for Wasserman’s L.A. 2028 committee and its work to deliver the city its first Olympics since 1984.
Other prominent figures impacted
The fallout from Wasserman’s appearance in the Epstein files contrasts sharply with the consequences faced by other prominent figures whose associations with the sex offender were exposed.
For instance, Brad Karp, the longtime chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the nation’s top corporate law firms, resigned from his post following revelations that he had exchanged emails with Epstein and had been a guest at his New York mansion.
“Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm,” Karp said.
