L.A. Olympics chief Casey Wasserman will remain at the helm of the 2028 Games, despite public outrage over his appearance in the Epstein files, the board of directors said Wednesday.
Wasserman has faced growing scrutiny in recent weeks after a trove of Justice Department documents included a series of flirty emails between him and Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, from 2003.
The emails prompted five Los Angeles City Council members, two county supervisors and the city controller to call for Wasserman to step aside. Then, celebrities started dropping Wasserman's talent agency, including Chappell Roan and soccer star Abby Wambach.
The board of directors for LA28 — the private nonprofit organizing the L.A. Olympics — issued its first public response Wednesday morning.
The statement from the board's executive committee said that it had brought in outside counsel to review Wasserman's past interactions with both Maxwell and Epstein, and that Wasserman had cooperated with the review.
"We found Mr. Wasserman's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented," the statement reads in part.
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Some have been delayed for years due to tariffs and other road bumps, but city officials expect these projects to be complete before the Summer Games. -
Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, or SAJE, issued a report Thursday focused on L.A.'s financial exposure as host city. -
L.A. politicians say Wasserman's leadership is a distraction after newly released emails between him and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
"The Executive Committee of the Board has determined that based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games,” the statement continued.
Wasserman's connections to Epstein and Maxwell date back to 2002, when he went on a humanitarian trip to Africa arranged by former president Bill Clinton. According to LA28, "this was his single interaction with Epstein."
The emails between Maxwell and Wasserman came after that trip, in 2003. They include an exchange in which Wasserman writes to Maxwell, "I think of you all the time…So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?"
Wasserman was married at the time.
In a statement provided to other media outlets after those documents were released, Wasserman said he was "terribly sorry" for his association with Epstein and Maxwell.
This story will be updated. Check back for details.
