Overview
- The American Economic Association accepted Summers’ resignation and imposed a lifetime prohibition on his attending, speaking at, or otherwise participating in AEA events, including editorial and refereeing roles.
- In announcing the ban, the AEA said Summers’ conduct in the publicly reported communications was fundamentally inconsistent with professional integrity and the trust placed in mentors.
- Emails released by the House Oversight Committee show Summers remained in contact with Jeffrey Epstein through July 2019, sought romantic advice about a woman he described as his mentee, and made sexist remarks.
- Summers is on leave from Harvard as the university investigates his interactions with Epstein, and he has stepped back from roles at OpenAI, the Center for American Progress, the Center for Global Development, Yale’s Budget Lab, Bloomberg TV, The New York Times, and other organizations.
- News outlets report no evidence that Summers was involved in Epstein’s sex‑trafficking crimes, as campus protests and professional groups press for stronger conduct rules and accountability.