Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wants Casey Wasserman to resign as chairman of the committee overseeing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics over his ties to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
“I can’t fire him,” Bass said in an interview with CNN on Monday. “My opinion is that he should resign. That is not the opinion of the board.”
When the U.S. Department of Justice released more than 3 million documents related to Epstein, Wasserman’s name appeared in two 2003 emails with Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was a co-conspirator of the late Epstein, a convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, and she was convicted in 2021 of a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple underage girls.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Wasserman has said he regrets the correspondence with Maxwell, which took place “long before her heinous crimes came to light.”
The executive committee of LA28’s board reviewed Wasserman’s contacts with Epstein and Maxwell and concluded last week that he should “continue to lead LA28 and deliver safe and successful Games.”
Bass, who has been the city’s mayor since 2022, disagreed with the commission’s decision.
“I think that decision was unfortunate. I don’t support the decision. I do think we have to look at the leadership,” Bass said. “However, it is my job as Mayor of Los Angeles to ensure that our city is prepared for the greatest Olympic Games ever held in Olympic history.”
The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are scheduled for July 14-30.
