Journalism of Courage
Harvard University has launched a fresh review into former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers’ links to Jeffrey Epstein after newly released documents suggested the two maintained an “unusually close relationship for years,” The Harvard Crimson, the university’s student newspaper, reported on Tuesday.
As per a report by Reuters, University spokesperson Jonathan Swain said Harvard is examining the newly disclosed files to determine whether any action is necessary regarding individuals at the institution who appear in the documents. Summers, a former Harvard president who is now a professor, told the Crimson he would step back from all public engagements.
His announcement comes days after President Donald Trump ordered the US Justice Department to investigate the ties between Epstein and several prominent Democrats, including Summers. Trump has denied any connection to Epstein’s crimes.
The documents, made public by the House Oversight Committee last week, include personal messages between Summers and Epstein, touching on topics ranging from women and politics to Harvard-related initiatives. The university’s probe will also assess references to Summers’ wife and roughly a dozen other Harvard affiliates named in the files.
On Tuesday, the Republican-led Congress voted overwhelmingly to compel the release of additional DOJ records related to Epstein, a move Trump had long pushed for before dropping his opposition. Many of his supporters believe the government concealed Epstein’s connections to powerful figures and obscured details around his 2019 death in a Manhattan jail, officially ruled a suicide.
The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved legislation requiring the release of investigative files tied to the sex offender Epstein, just hours after the US House passed it with near-unanimous support. The vote brings to a close a rare bipartisan push that moved forward despite months of resistance from Donald Trump.
The bill now heads to President Trump for his signature, and he has already indicated he will sign it. Although Trump spent months dismissing concerns over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax,” he signalled support for the House measure over the weekend and confirmed he would approve it once it reached his desk.
Democrats, joined by Epstein survivors and their advocates watching from the House gallery, applauded as the bill passed with a 427-1 tally. The lone dissent came from Republican Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who said he was concerned the legislation could expose identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects, and others mentioned in the investigation.
