US Lawmakers Demand Harvard and Bard Explain Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has sent letters to Harvard University and Bard College demanding full disclosure of records, financial documents, and communications related to their dealings with convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Raskin stated that both institutions previously conducted internal investigations, but these were either incomplete or misleading. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive review to understand how Epstein leveraged his university ties to facilitate his illegal activities, including potential trafficking of women in New York and Russia.

In his letter to Bard, Raskin requested that outgoing president Leon Botstein, who led the college for over 50 years, sit for a transcribed interview. Botstein stepped down after an independent review found "substantial lapses in leadership and candor." The review concluded that Botstein's actions were not illegal but that he was not fully truthful about his relationship with Epstein. It also noted that Botstein failed to disclose fees he received under a consulting agreement with an Epstein entity.

For Harvard, Raskin requested all records related to Epstein's donations and his relationships with faculty members. Epstein donated over $9 million to Harvard and its affiliated programs from 1998 to 2008, overlapping with former president Larry Summers' tenure. Summers, who announced his resignation from teaching in February, has publicly expressed shame for continuing to communicate with Epstein.

Raskin has set a July 1 deadline for both universities to provide the requested information. Neither Harvard nor Bard have yet commented on the demands.