Lawrence Summers, the former US Treasury Secretary and ex-president of Harvard University, has announced his resignation from the academic position he held at Harvard following recent disclosures regarding his connections to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. These revelations reportedly indicate that his involvement with Epstein was much more significant than previously understood, forcing Summers to take a step back from his roles at Harvard and cease participation in public events.

Harvard University confirmed in a statement that the dean of the Kennedy School, Jeremy Weinstein, accepted Summers’ resignation from his role as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. This resignation came in light of newly available documents from the US Department of Justice related to the Epstein case, which prompted intensive scrutiny of Summers' previous ties.

Summers has expressed his intent to retire from all academic positions at Harvard by the end of the academic year, stating he will remain on leave until then. The situation highlights the ongoing ramifications for individuals with past associations to Epstein, reflecting how public accountability is increasingly demanded from high-profile figures in academia and politics alike, especially when they come under scrutiny for their past associations with controversial and criminal figures.