Wasserman to remain LA28 chairman after Epstein review

Feb 11 : Casey Wasserman will remain chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after organisers conducted a review of his past interactions with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and late financier Jeffrey Epstein, LA28 said on Wednesday.

Files published by the U.S. Justice Department late last month included email exchanges from 2003 between Wasserman, who was married at the time, and Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted sex offender Epstein.

LA28 said it took allegations of misconduct seriously and that with the assistance of outside counsel it conducted a review of Wasserman's past interactions with Epstein and Maxwell. Wasserman fully cooperated with the review, LA28 said.

The review found Wasserman's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what had already been publicly documented.

It determined that 23 years ago, before Wasserman or the public knew of Epstein and Maxwell's crimes, Wasserman and his then-wife flew on a humanitarian mission to Africa on Epstein's plane at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation. LA28 said this was his single interaction with Epstein, and shortly after, he exchanged the publicly known emails with Maxwell.

"The Executive Committee of the Board has determined that based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games," the LA28 Executive Committee said in a statement.

Wasserman has apologised for communicating with Maxwell, after the publication of a series of personal emails between the two.

'CASEY SHOULD RESIGN'

Earlier on Wednesday, retired U.S. women's soccer player Abby Wambach called on Wasserman to step down from the talent agency