Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Board Votes To Keep Casey Wasserman As Head Amid Epstein Scandal

Casey Wasserman is one of the many high-profile names in the most recent batch of Epstein files, and amid the scandalous revelation, there have been calls for his resignation as the head of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. However, the recent decision by the board is not what detractors were hoping for.

The board of the international sporting event recently made a decision regarding Wasserman's tenure, following the exodus of multiple clients of his talent management agency who have cut ties.

Per Deadline, on Wednesday, February 11, the LA 2028 Olympics board held an emergency meeting regarding Casey Wasserman's position as head of the event, ultimately deciding that he will remain as the organization's head despite his name being mentioned in the Epstein files.

The board, which includes notable names such as Jessica Alba, Jeanie Buss, Kevin McCarthy, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, and was previously hand-picked by Wasserman, issued a statement regarding their decision.

"LA28 takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and our Board is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns related to the organization's leadership," the statement began.

"With the assistance of outside counsel at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, a review was conducted of Mr. Wasserman's past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Mr. Wasserman fully cooperated with the review, "the board continued. "We found Mr. Wasserman's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented."

The statement further detailed Wasserman's encounters with Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.

"Twenty-three years ago, before Mr. Wasserman or the public knew of Epstein and Maxwell's deplorable crimes, Mr. Wasserman and his then-wife flew on a humanitarian mission to Africa on Epstein's plane at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation. This was his single interaction with Epstein. Shortly after, he traded the publicly-known emails with Maxwell," the statement said.

"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 board added.

On January 30, Casey Wasserman's name was included in the over 3 million recent Epstein files released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), specifically an email correspondence between him and Epstein co-conspirator Maxwell dating back to 2003, according to PEOPLE.

Following the release of Wasserman's involvement in the files, city officials, including Los Angeles County supervisor Janice Hahn, called for Wasserman's formal resignation.

"Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028," Hahn told the Los Angeles Times.

Lindsey Horvath, also a city official, shared her thoughts about Wasserman's continued involvement in the event, given the recent Epstein information.

"What does that mean when the organization is led by an intimate friend of a convicted human trafficker? Now is the time for LA28 to demonstrate how much they truly value women," Horvath said.

Wasserman clarified his ties to Epstein and expressed regret for past email correspondence with Maxwell, via a statement obtained by the New York Times.

"I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light," Wasserman said. "I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein."

"As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them," he continued.

The nature of the emails between Wasserman and Maxwell was flirty in nature, per the outlet, where in one email he wrote to her, "I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?"

In a post via her Instagram Stories on February 9, Chappell Roan confirmed that she was exiting Wasserman's agency.

"As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman," Roan's post read. "I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well," she continued, stressing that:

"No artist, agent, or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values," she added.

The singer also noted that although she has "deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists," she could not "passively stand by" because all artists are entitled to representation that aligns "with their values and supports their safety and dignity."

Back in 2019, two years after Los Angeles was confirmed as the host city for the 2028 Olympic Games, Wasserman expressed his feelings about the international event returning to the U.S. for the first time since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

"At no other time in Olympic and Paralympic history have the stakes been higher, and yet more rewarding," Wasserman said in April 2019, per Deadline.

"I am so proud to partner with NBCUniversal and their team of innovators to bring the true promise of the Games to audiences in a way that is more connected and relevant. NBCUniversal's commitment to our partnership guarantees 2028's success like no other Games before it," he said at the time.