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Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers withdrew from the Group of 30, an international group of financial leaders and academic economists, on Friday amid escalating scrutiny over his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein, according to a spokesperson.
The move is the latest in Summers’ retreat from public roles after messages released by House Republicans last week showed him discussing women, politics, and Harvard with Epstein over a nearly decade-long span.
Summers — who has chaired several initiatives within the group, including one focused on the Covid-19 pandemic — has been a member since 1997. The 30-strong body is composed of some of the most notable figures in economics, including the heads of major private banks and central banks, and organizes regular seminars and study groups.
After announcing on Monday that he would pull away from the public limelight, Summers has stepped back or been let go from his roles at outlets and corporations including Bloomberg News, the New York Times, the board of OpenAI, and the Center for American Progress think tank.
Summers announced on Wednesday that he would also take a leave from teaching for the rest of the semester and from his position as director of the Mossavar-Rohmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.
On Monday, the former United States Treasury Secretary wrote that he was “ashamed” of his actions and understood “the pain they have caused.”
“I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein,” he wrote in a statement to The Crimson.
—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.
—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.
