Raskin Demands July 1 Epstein Records From Harvard and Bard, Seeks Botstein Interview
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 17
Raskin Demands July 1 Epstein Records From Harvard and Bard, Seeks Botstein Interview
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 17
Summary
July 1 is the deadline Jamie Raskin set for Harvard and Bard to turn over records on Jeffrey Epstein’s donations, communications, admissions involvement and institutional decisions, while Bard must also make outgoing president Leon Botstein available for a transcribed interview.
Raskin said both schools’ earlier reviews fell short, arguing Harvard’s 2008 and 2019 probes missed post-ban donations and the extent of Epstein’s ties to faculty, including former president Larry Summers, as well as his role in student admissions and research funding.
At Bard, Raskin cited evidence that Epstein’s relationship with Botstein and other leaders may have helped him sustain illegal activity, after an internal review found substantial lapses in leadership and candor during Botstein’s 51-year tenure.
Harvard received more than $9 million from Epstein and affiliated programs from 1998 to 2008, and the renewed scrutiny follows the Justice Department’s Epstein files and broader questions over how elite university ties may have shielded him.
With internal reviews failing, what will it take to truly purge Epstein's lingering influence from academia?
Beyond firing presidents, how can universities fix a culture that values donor money over student safety?
Under Congressional Scrutiny: Harvard, Bard, and the Urgent Push for Transparency on Epstein Connections by July 1
Overview
In June 2026, U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin demanded that Harvard University and Bard College provide a comprehensive accounting of their historical ties to Jeffrey Epstein, setting a July 1 deadline. This urgent request aims to uncover how Epstein exploited connections within elite academic circles, possibly to facilitate trafficking and rehabilitate his image. Previous internal investigations at Harvard, conducted in 2008 and 2019, were widely seen as failures, missing key details about Epstein’s donations and relationships with faculty. Raskin’s renewed push reflects a broader effort to achieve transparency and accountability regarding Epstein’s influence in higher education.