Former Obama administration economic adviser Larry Summers abruptly resigned from OpenAI’s board and multiple prestigious positions after congressional investigators exposed his extensive communications with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Story Highlights
- Summers steps down from OpenAI board and six other major roles following Epstein email revelations.
- The House Oversight Committee released dozens of messages showing regular communication with Epstein through the late 2010s.
- Congress votes overwhelmingly to force the Justice Department to release all Epstein files.
- Trump calls for DOJ investigation into Epstein’s ties with high-profile Democrats.
Elite Democrat Forced Into Damage Control Mode
Larry Summers announced on Wednesday his resignation from OpenAI’s board of directors and withdrawal from numerous influential positions across major institutions.
The former Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton and key Obama administration economic adviser cited his decision to step back from public commitments following the release of compromising communications with Jeffrey Epstein.
His departures span Bloomberg News, The New York Times, the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project, the Center for American Progress, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and the Yale Budget Lab.
Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board following firestorm over Jeffrey Epstein ties https://t.co/S5Gy8h2rpl pic.twitter.com/TGWgbkkbVp
— New York Post (@nypost) November 19, 2025
Congressional Transparency Effort Exposes Deep Connections
The House Oversight Committee’s November 2025 document release revealed extensive email correspondence between Summers and Epstein spanning the late 2010s. These communications occurred well after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to prostitution charges in Florida but before his July 2019 federal sex trafficking arrest.
The timing raises serious questions about judgment among establishment figures who maintained relationships with Epstein despite his widely known criminal background and growing public notoriety during this period.
Bipartisan Push for Full Epstein File Release
Both chambers of Congress voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to mandate the Justice Department’s release of all Epstein-related files, sending the legislation to President Trump’s desk.
This represents a significant victory for transparency advocates who have long demanded full disclosure of the convicted sex offender’s extensive network of elite contacts.
The bipartisan nature of the vote demonstrates widespread recognition that the American people deserve complete transparency regarding Epstein’s connections to powerful political and business figures.
Trump Administration Promises Accountability
President Trump has called for comprehensive Justice Department investigations into Epstein’s relationships with prominent Democrats including Summers and former President Bill Clinton.
This marks a stark departure from previous administrations’ handling of the Epstein scandal, signaling a commitment to thorough accountability regardless of political connections.
While investigators found no evidence of illegal conduct by Summers, the pattern of maintaining contact with a known sex offender raises legitimate questions about judgment and character among Washington’s elite establishment.
