Harvard University and Bard College are facing fresh inquiries from members of Congress regarding their handling of affiliates' ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Representatives Tim Burchett (R., Tenn.) and Glenn Grothman (R., Wis.), both members of the House Oversight Committee, have sent letters to the institutions criticizing their responses so far. The letters emphasize the need for greater transparency and accountability from both universities.
The congressional scrutiny follows recent releases of documents from the U.S. Department of Justice detailing Epstein's extensive network, which included prominent figures in academia. At Harvard, former president Lawrence H. Summers has been particularly highlighted due to emails showing his close relationship with Epstein, continuing until Epstein's 2019 arrest. The university is conducting an expanded internal investigation into faculty and donors named in the files, including business magnates Andrew Farkas, Leslie Wexner, and Gerald Chan, as well as faculty members like Lisa Randall, George Church, and Andrew Strominger. Harvard's initial statements and actions, such as Summers taking leave from teaching, have been deemed insufficient by the congressmen.
Bard College is also under fire concerning its president, Leon Botstein, whose name appears over 2,800 times in the recently disclosed Epstein documents. These files demonstrate a much closer and longer-standing relationship between Botstein and Epstein than previously acknowledged by the college president. Bard's Board of Trustees has initiated an independent review by the law firm WilmerHale to investigate Botstein's communications and financial connections to Epstein, including a $75,000 donation and 66 laptops from Epstein, and a $250,000 donation from Leon Black, an associate of Epstein. Faculty at Bard have also called for the creation of a fund for sexual violence initiatives using these donations.
Congressmen Burchett and Grothman are demanding that both Harvard and Bard provide detailed information on what steps they are taking to address these revelations and prevent similar issues in the future. They are seeking comprehensive accounts of internal investigations, any disciplinary actions taken, and reforms to donor vetting and institutional oversight policies. The renewed congressional pressure underscores a broader concern about the willingness of elite institutions to overlook ethical red flags in their pursuit of financial and reputational gains.
