The Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, has called for the resignation of Casey Wasserman, president of the organizing committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028 -LA28-, following the release last month of the so-called ‘Epstein Files’ by the United States Department of Justice. The documents include emails exchanged in 2003 with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking and was an associate of financier Jeffrey Epstein. “My opinion is that he should resign,” Bass said in remarks to CNN, where she also described the decision to keep him in the role as “unfortunate.”
The LA28 organizing committee decided to retain Wasserman in his position after an internal review conducted with the assistance of international law firm O’Melveny & Myers. In an official statement, the board of directors said he had “fully cooperated with the review” and concluded that “Mr. Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented.” The organization also highlighted his role in developing the Olympic project and his leadership over the past decade.
Emails with Maxwell and the origin of the controversy
The files released by the United States Department of Justice reveal that Wasserman exchanged personal messages with Maxwell in 2003, one year after traveling on Epstein’s private aircraft as part of a delegation linked to the Clinton Foundation, on a humanitarian mission focused on HIV research in Africa. Maxwell was sentenced in 2021 to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking offenses, while Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on related charges.
Following the publication of the documents, Wasserman denied having any personal or professional relationship with Epstein and expressed regret over the contact. “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” he said in a statement. He also addressed his correspondence with Maxwell directly: “I deeply regret my email exchange with Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place more than two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.”
Calls for resignation in Los Angeles
Calls for his resignation intensified on Tuesday, February 3, when several political leaders in the Los Angeles area publicly questioned his continued leadership of the LA28 organizing committee. County Supervisor Janice Hahn stated: “I believe Casey Wasserman should resign,” adding that his continued presence in the role “distracts from our athletes and the enormous effort required to prepare for 2028.” State Senator Lena González and City Council members Hugo Soto-Martínez, Mónica Rodríguez, and Imelda Padilla also called for his departure.
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement that the release of the files occurred “in the hope that people of conscience would take action,” while raising concerns about leadership during the Olympic preparations. Wasserman, who was in Italy attending meetings related to Olympic planning, publicly expressed regret over his correspondence with Maxwell and reiterated that his contact with Epstein was limited to a humanitarian trip in 2002. “I deeply regret having had any association with either of them,” he said.
Wasserman’s continuation at the helm of Los Angeles 2028
Despite the controversy, the organizing committee reaffirmed its support for Wasserman and defended his continued leadership of the project. In its official statement, the organization emphasized that “LA28 takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and our board is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns related to the organization’s leadership,” concluding that Wasserman should “continue leading LA28 and deliver safe and successful Games.”
Wasserman has played a central role in preparing the Games since the International Olympic Committee -IOC- awarded the host city to Los Angeles, overseeing planning, funding, and institutional coordination for the event. Amid the controversy, he also announced the sale of his talent agency, founded more than two decades ago, stating that the situation had become “a distraction” for the company and its stakeholders, while he continues to lead preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.
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