OLYMPICS: LA28 chair Wasserman called on to resign over Epstein files, LA Times reports

Local officials in Los Angeles are calling for Casey Wasserman to resign as LA2028 Olympics chief after reports revealed he communicated with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell more than 20 years ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Newly released files related to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein showed flirtatious emails between Wasserman and Maxwell dating back to 2003. Wasserman has denied any personal or business relationship with Epstein.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach LA28 officials for comment. On Sunday, Wasserman apologized for his association with Maxwell, stating that their interactions occurred before her or Epstein’s crimes were publicly known.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, State Senator Lena Gonzalez, and three city council members were among those calling for Wasserman’s resignation. “Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028,” Hahn told the LA Times.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry said Wednesday that the LA 2028 leadership structure is not under IOC oversight, when asked if Wasserman could be a potential liability for the organizing committee.

“As we said before, Casey put out a statement,” Coventry said at a press conference. “From the IOC point of view, the OCOG (LA Games organizing committee) and its structure is not something we will be involved in.” She added that any distraction shortly before the Milano Cortina Olympics is “sad.”

The U.S. Justice Department has released millions of documents detailing Epstein’s connections to prominent figures across politics, entertainment, and business. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and died by suicide that same year in a Manhattan jail cell.

-Reporting by Amy Tennery in Milan; Additional reporting by Karolos Grohmann. Editing by David Holmes and Toby Davis/Reuters