Mayor calls on Los Angeles Olympics chief to resign amid Epstein controversy
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called on LA 2028 Olympics chief Casey Wasserman to resign amid the fallout from his name appearing in the Jeffrey Epstein files last month.
Bass is the latest official to call out Wasserman, doing so in an interview with CNN. She said she was unable to fire him, but believed he should “step down.”
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“The board made a decision,” she said. “I think that decision was unfortunate. I don’t support the decision. I do think that we need to look at the leadership. However, my job as mayor of Los Angeles is to make sure that our city is completely prepared to have the best Olympics that has ever happened in Olympic history.”
The Justice Department’s release of documents related to Epstein showed Wasserman having a flirtatious exchange with close Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Since then, he’s announced he will sell his talent agency as some clients have already announced their departures.
Wasserman’s decision to sell the agency came after the LA28 board’s executive committee met to discuss Wasserman’s appearance in the Epstein files. The committee said it and an outside legal firm conducted a review of Wasserman’s interactions with Epstein and Maxwell with Wasserman’s full cooperation.
LA OLYMPICS CHIEF RESPONDS AFTER EMAILS WITH GHISLAINE MAXWELL EMERGE IN EPSTEIN FILES
“We found Mr. Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented,” the committee said in a statement, adding that Wasserman “should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games.”
Wasserman has said previously he flew on a humanitarian mission to Africa on Epstein’s private plane at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation in 2002. He said in a memo to staff that his interactions with Maxwell and Epstein were limited and that he regrets the emails.
“It was years before their criminal conduct came to light, and, in its entirety, consisted of one humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending. And I’m heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks,” the memo said.
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Wasserman said in a prior statement. “As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
United States women’s national soccer team legend Abby Wambach announced she was leaving the agency. Chappell Roan also left the agency.
In the email exchanges, Wasserman told Maxwell, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” Another exchange showed Maxwell asking Wasserman whether it would be foggy enough during an upcoming visit “so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?” Wasserman responded, “or something like that.”
Wasserman has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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