Former Harvard president Larry Summers goes ‘on leave’ as university probes Epstein links

Former Harvard University president and former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers will "go on leave" amid a probe by the university over Epstein links. His is currently holds the position of director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. This comes after he said that he was ashamed of his actions and he recognises the pain his action has caused. He also took “full responsibility” for what he called “misguided decision” to continue communicating with Epstein.

Meanwhile, Harvard University said it is opening a probe into individuals mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files. “The university is conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to evaluate what actions may be warranted,” a spokesperson for the school said in a statement.

Following this, on Wednesday, Summers said he would step back from public commitments after the release of Jeffrey Epstein's old emails. Summers also resigned from the OpenAI board. The sex offender's emails showed that Summers maintained friendly ties with Epstein even long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008. Summers served his role in the US government under former president Bill Clinton - who was accused by Donald Trump of being close to Epstein.

Trump on Wednesday, signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the DOJ to release all unclassified records on Jeffrey Epstein. He signed the bill after it was passed by Congress and the Senate. The term “Epstein files” refers to a collection of legal documents, court records, and investigative materials connected to Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier accused of operating a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. It also includes transcripts of interviews with victims and witnesses and details of his flight logs.