Casey Wasserman, the president of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games, has issued a public apology for his past interactions with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, but insists that there is no evidence linking him to financier Jeffrey Epstein.
According to recently released emails published by the US Department of Justice, Wasserman had an on-again, off-again relationship with Maxwell from 2003, when she was a young woman. The correspondence between the two has been described as flirtatious, but neither Wasserman nor his representatives have ever suggested that he was involved in any illicit activities.
In a statement, Wasserman said that he had "never had a personal or business relationship" with Epstein, adding that he is "terribly sorry for having any association with either of them." Maxwell, who served a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking in 2021, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which works closely with Wasserman on preparations for the Summer Olympics, refused to comment on the matter, citing Wasserman's statement as sufficient. IOC President Kirsty Coventry noted that past Olympics have been plagued by distractions before their start, and expressed her faith in the ability of the games to bring people together despite any controversies.
Wasserman, a sports and entertainment executive, has been leading the LA28 Olympic project since its inception and is currently serving as chairman of the organising committee. His apology comes just days ahead of the Milano-Cortina Olympics, which are seen as an opportunity for him to restore public trust in his organisation's leadership.
The recent release of the emails has sparked renewed scrutiny of Wasserman's past activities, particularly given his close involvement with Epstein and Maxwell. However, Wasserman maintains that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by either of them and is committed to ensuring that the 2028 Olympics are a success without distraction.
According to recently released emails published by the US Department of Justice, Wasserman had an on-again, off-again relationship with Maxwell from 2003, when she was a young woman. The correspondence between the two has been described as flirtatious, but neither Wasserman nor his representatives have ever suggested that he was involved in any illicit activities.
In a statement, Wasserman said that he had "never had a personal or business relationship" with Epstein, adding that he is "terribly sorry for having any association with either of them." Maxwell, who served a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking in 2021, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which works closely with Wasserman on preparations for the Summer Olympics, refused to comment on the matter, citing Wasserman's statement as sufficient. IOC President Kirsty Coventry noted that past Olympics have been plagued by distractions before their start, and expressed her faith in the ability of the games to bring people together despite any controversies.
Wasserman, a sports and entertainment executive, has been leading the LA28 Olympic project since its inception and is currently serving as chairman of the organising committee. His apology comes just days ahead of the Milano-Cortina Olympics, which are seen as an opportunity for him to restore public trust in his organisation's leadership.
The recent release of the emails has sparked renewed scrutiny of Wasserman's past activities, particularly given his close involvement with Epstein and Maxwell. However, Wasserman maintains that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by either of them and is committed to ensuring that the 2028 Olympics are a success without distraction.
I'm not sure how much reassurance Wasserman's apology gives me 
. I mean, his relationship with Maxwell was pretty casual and he's saying it was all just a bunch of flirty emails 
... but at the same time, he's still got ties to Epstein, which is a whole different story 
. It's like he's trying to distance himself from those controversies, but they're still attached to his name 
. I wish he'd be more transparent about what he knew and when he knew it 
. The fact that the IOC isn't commenting on this either makes me skeptical 
. Can we trust that Wasserman's going to keep the 2028 Olympics distraction-free? 
. I mean, it's not like Wasserman was directly involved with Epstein or anything, but still, having connections to someone who got convicted for sex trafficking is super shady. And the fact that he only apologized now, just because the emails were released... it feels a bit too late, you know? 
! You'd think there'd be some accountability for past actions, especially when they involve something as serious as sex trafficking.
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. Wasserman needs to do more than just say sorry - he needs to show proof he wasn't in bed with Epstein too 
. The IOC's not buying it either 
. I get it, we all make mistakes in the past, but this is a major red flag with Epstein and Maxwell involved 
. How many times have we seen someone apologize and then just continue with their shady dealings 
? at least he's saying sorry now, so fingers crossed that this is more than just a PR stunt 
. And don't even get me started on the timing of all this - just before the Milano-Cortina Olympics and he's trying to spin it as a way to restore public trust? Give me a break 
. And let's be real, a 20-year prison sentence isn't exactly a minor infraction... 
Maybe we should dig deeper into how Wasserman got involved with these people in the first place? 
- an Olympic committee head is apologizing for being friends with a sex trafficker's acquaintance 
. And yeah, I get the whole "distractions" thing from the IOC, but this is a major red flag 
... I mean, I get it, we all make mistakes in our past, but this is just so weird 
. First off, what was Wasserman thinking? Like, he's the head of the Olympic committee now and he's got these old emails from his flirtatious convo with Maxwell just floating around 
. Wasserman says he had no involvement with Epstein, but those emails suggest otherwise 
... You gotta put on a good face and pretend everything is fine, even when it's not 
. So yeah, Wasserman's apology is appreciated, but let's be real, this isn't over yet 
I think this whole thing is kinda blown outta proportion... I mean, Wasserman's apology is a good start, right? He's owning up to his past mistakes and acknowledging that he shouldn't have had anything to do with those people. And let's be real, it's not like he's in any way affiliated with Epstein now 
! Maybe this whole thing will just bring people closer to the games... who knows? 
he's been leadin the olympic org committee since day one and now he's got all these emails comin at him. and now everyone's wonderin if he was friends with epstein too 
. Newsflash: past associations = bad vibes 
. I'm calling foul on this whole thing. IOC is just trying to sweep it under the rug 'cause who wants a scandal before the games 
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. And what's up with him having an on-again, off-again relationship with her from 2003? 
. And what about all those other people who were connected to Epstein and Maxwell? Did we ever hear from them?