🔗 Share this article Former Treasury Secretary Summers Resigns from OpenAI Board The former official stated he would step back from public positions after Congressional panel released his frequent messages with Epstein Former US treasury secretary Lawrence Summers is exiting the governing body at OpenAI, just a week after a series of electronic messages between him and late convicted sex offender the disgraced billionaire became publicly available. Summers remarked in a statement that he was "thankful for the chance to have contributed, excited about the prospects of the company, and anticipate observing their development". The former Harvard president, who once headed the prestigious university, stated on Monday that he would be stepping back from public commitments due to his connections with the convicted sex offender. Digital Correspondence The recently released communications revealed that the official exchanged messages with Jeffrey Epstein until the day before his 2019 arrest for suspected human trafficking of young people. In another announcement, the artificial intelligence company stated it respected his determination to resign. "We value his many contributions and the perspective he provided to the directors," the organization remarked. Political Context This announcement comes after the two houses of the US legislature decided on Tuesday to endorse a legislation that would require the Department of Justice to disclose its files on Epstein. The measure will then move to the desk of the White House for signature. He has said he expects to approve the bill, after modifying his stance on the issue following objections from his supporters. Correspondence Findings A batch of Epstein-connected messages disclosed by the Congressional committee last week referenced numerous high-profile figures in the Epstein's former circle, without implying any legal wrongdoing by those individuals. The messages showed that the economist and Jeffrey Epstein regularly had dinners together, with the billionaire often seeking to link Summers to influential world leaders. Individual Statement After the emails were released with the wider community, Summers stated he took "full responsibility for my ill-advised decision to persist in interacting with the financier". He added that he wanted "to rebuild faith and repair bonds with the people nearest to me". Professional History Summers occupied high-level positions under two Democratic presidents; functioning as treasury secretary under President Clinton, and as director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama. He headed the institution from five years and continues to be a professor there. When announcing his withdrawal from public roles recently on this week, he stated he would maintain his educational duties. Further Repercussions Following the economist's statement on Monday, the Center for American Progress, a liberal policy institute in the capital where the professor was a prominent member, verified that Summers was no longer affiliated with the institution. Summers joined the board of the technology firm, which creates the AI chatbot, in 2023 - following a unsuccessful effort to oust its CEO Sam Altman.