Los Angeles Olympics chief Casey Wasserman issued a statement on Saturday (Jan 31) apologizing for his 2003 email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell, the jailed former girlfriend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The emails were released as part of a new cache of documents from the U.S. Department of Justice related to the Epstein investigation.
Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 Olympic organizing committee, emphasized that his correspondence with Maxwell occurred before her crimes were known. He stated, 'I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.' Wasserman also clarified that he had 'never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,' noting he had traveled on Epstein's plane in 2002 as part of a Clinton Foundation delegation.
The newly released documents include emails between Wasserman and Maxwell, with phrases such as 'Where are you, I miss you' and 'Can we book that massage now?' Maxwell's responses included suggestive remarks. Wasserman was married at the time and later divorced in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Epstein files also contain claims about President Donald Trump, including an email from Epstein alleging Trump called Melania Trump 'a hot piece of a**' after meeting her. The White House dismissed the allegations as 'totally unfounded and false.' The documents also reference uncorroborated claims from an FBI tip line, including an allegation that Trump raped a 13-year-old girl. These claims were temporarily removed from the DOJ site but later reinstated.
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for trafficking underage girls for Epstein, was convicted in 2021. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.