Dec. 2 (UPI) — The American Economic Association announced Tuesday it had imposed a lifetime ban on former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, following revelations of his association with infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The premier academic association publishes prestigious journals and hosts a large annual gathering of economists and other activities. After voluntarily resigning his membership, Summers is also now prohibited from participating in any of its events as well as holding editorial roles in its journals, according to a statement from the association.
The ban is the latest fallout for Summers following the release of documents by a House committee investigating Epstein, a now-deceased financier with ties to the wealthy and well-connected. Summers is not accused of being a party to any of Epstein’s sex crimes. But released documents show he maintained a correspondence with Epstein and asked for advice on pursuing a woman. Summers, 70, has since said he is “deeply ashamed” of his actions.
“The AEA condemns Mr. Summers’ conduct, as reflected in publicly reported communications, as fundamentally inconsistent with its standards of professional integrity and with the trust placed in mentors within the economics profession,” the association said in its statement.
In addition to holding a key cabinet post in the Clinton administration, Summers also served as president of Harvard University.
Following the heightened scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein, Harvard announced Summers would not continue as an instructor and the university would launch its own investigation. Summers also resigned from the OpenAI board of directors.