Larry Summers, Bill Gates: Fallout from Epstein files is widening
Summers' announced resignation from Harvard came the day after Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder, was questioned about his Epstein connections during a Gates Foundation town hall.
Bart JansenWASHINGTON – Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary who announced Feb. 25 he would resign from Harvard University, became the latest in a series of high-profile men who have lost reputations, jobs and in some cases come under criminal investigation after the release of documents about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The list of names continues to grow from the Justice Department's release of 3 million pages of documents from the criminal investigation of Epstein. The records include pictures and emails featuring celebrities, political and business leaders who socialized with Epstein, sparking questions about who might be investigated or charged next.
Richard Axel, a Nobel Prize-winning professor at Columbia University, announced Feb. 25 he was stepping down as codirector of the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute because of his connection to Epstein. He said he would focus on research and teaching in his lab.
"My past association with Jeffrey Epstein was a serious error in judgment, which I deeply regret," Axel, who wasn't accused of wrongdoing but was a frequent visitor of Epstein's, said in a statement. "What has emerged about Epstein’s appalling conduct, the harm that he has caused to so many people, makes my association with him all the more painful and inexcusable."
Others under the microscope include United Kingdom's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whose brother, King Charles, stripped him of the title prince. He was arrested Feb. 19 on suspicion of "misconduct in public office," which British lawmakers and media following the case say is tied to allegations of sharing confidential documents with the late financier while he was Britain’s trade envoy.
Peter Mandelson, formerly Britain’s ambassador to the United States, was fired from the most prestigious job in the diplomatic service in September. Mandelson was arrested Feb. 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office tied to allegations of passing confidential documents to Epstein.
Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder, discussed the Epstein records Feb. 24 during a Gates Foundation town hall. "In the townhall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions," the foundation said.
The revelations came on the eve of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, giving depositions about Epstein to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. She will testify Feb. 26 and his turn is Feb. 27.
A law approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to release all its Epstein documents by late December, with redactions for women who accused him of abuse or records that could hurt a prosecution. But the department has halted its review of records with millions more pages remaining sealed, in part by arguing the paperwork deals with internal legal deliberations.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He allegedly sexually abused potentially hundreds of women and girls and trafficked them to other wealthy men.
The House Oversight Committee had released emails between Epstein and Summers from about 2019 that showed the former Harvard president corresponding on a range topics including seeking advice for his love life.
Summers, who previously withdrew from many public duties and quit the OpenAI tech company board, issued a statement Feb. 25 saying he made the difficult decision to retire from his professorship at the end of the academic year. He plans to continue engaging in research, analysis and commentary on economic issues.
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles in fall 2025 over his links to Epstein. In one picture, the former prince can be seen kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman on the ground, but he hasn’t been charged with sex-related crimes.
Previous reporting by the BBC and others alleged Mountbatten-Windsor may have shared confidential government reports connected to investments in Afghanistan and His Majesty's Treasury department.
In Mandelson’s case, emails the Justice Department released in January showed he had a closer relationship with Epstein than previously known. Mandelson allegedly shared information with the late financier when he was a minister in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government in 2009.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was grilled at a Senate hearing about having lunch with his family on Epstein's private island in 2012. But Lutnick, who was also mentioned in about 10 emails, said he never saw inappropriate behavior.
The Clintons have said they know nothing about Epstein’s alleged criminal activity. But in numerous pictures released by the Justice Department, Bill Clinton was shown soaking in a tub or socializing with other celebrities.
The Democratic Clintons have said the Republican-led committee is politicizing its inquiry by forcing them to testify. But the chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, said lawmakers want to learn more about how Epstein made his money and how the government failed to protect the girls he allegedly abused.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)