🔗 Share this article Former Treasury Secretary Summers Resigns from OpenAI Board The former official declared he would withdraw from public roles after Congressional panel made public his regular correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein One-time economic leader the Harvard professor is leaving the governing body at the artificial intelligence firm, just days after a collection of digital correspondence between him and deceased financier the accused trafficker became public. He remarked in an announcement that he was "appreciative for the opportunity to have served, enthusiastic about the potential of the enterprise, and look forward observing their development". The prominent academic, who formerly led Harvard University, stated on recently that he would be stepping back from public responsibilities due to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Message Exchange The freshly disclosed messages demonstrated that the economist corresponded with the financier until the 24 hours preceding his 2019 detention for accused sex trafficking of young people. In additional comments, the AI firm expressed it accepted his decision to depart. "We value his numerous inputs and the viewpoint he offered to the directors," the company commented. Legislative Background This development arrives after the two houses of the legislative branch agreed on this week to endorse a legislation that would mandate the US justice department to release its documents on the case. The legislation will then head to the desk of US President Donald Trump for signature. He has said he intends to sign the measure, after changing his position on the subject following pushback from his base. Message Details A batch of Epstein-connected emails released by the legislative panel days ago mentioned several high-profile figures in the Epstein's previous network, without suggesting any illegal behavior by those individuals. The messages showed that Summers and Epstein dined together frequently, with the billionaire often seeking to introduce the official to influential international personalities. Personal Accountability After the emails were made available with the wider community, Summers stated he assumed "full responsibility for my misguided judgment to maintain corresponding with Mr Epstein". He added that he hoped "to reestablish trust and mend relationships with the persons nearest to me". Professional History The professor served in high-level positions under Democratic administrations; serving as Treasury chief under President Clinton, and as leader of the economic advisory body under the former leader. He led Harvard from five years and is still a academic there. When announcing his withdrawal from public roles recently on this week, he indicated he would continue his educational duties. Further Repercussions Following the economist's announcement on Monday, the Washington think tank, a left-leaning research organization in DC where he was a prominent member, verified that Summers was not affiliated with the group. Summers joined the board of OpenAI, which makes the language model, in last year - following a defeated move to oust its chief executive Sam Altman.