Casey Wasserman, the head of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizing committee, gave a firm response Thursday when asked whether he planned to step down amid scrutiny over his past connections to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“No,” was all Wasserman told reporters during a press conference when asked if he had any intention of resigning following calls earlier this year for him to step aside after his ties to Epstein became public.
When pressed about conversations he may have had with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass regarding the controversy, Wasserman declined to elaborate.
“I talk to the mayor weekly, if not more frequently, and our conversations are between us. They continue to be thoughtful and productive, with a completely shared vision of delivering great Games for our city and our community,” he said.
The remarks came after Bass publicly called on Wasserman to resign from his role as LA28 chairman, escalating the fallout facing the sports executive after decades-old email exchanges with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell surfaced early in the year.
“I cannot fire him, but I have an opinion,” Bass said during a CNN interview Monday night.
“And my opinion is that he should step down. That’s not the opinion of the board,” the mayor added.
Bass was not alone.
Other members of Congress and Los Angeles city leaders also called for Wasserman’s resignation. Thursday’s appearance marked Wasserman’s first public comments since the emails became public.
Wasserman has repeatedly apologized and maintained that he never had a “relationship” with Epstein.
“I’m deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort,” Wasserman wrote in a memo reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
“It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about,” he wrote.
Wasserman and Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence following her sex-trafficking conviction, exchanged a series of flirtatious emails that were revealed in recently released documents.
“Where are you, I miss you,” Wasserman wrote to Epstein’s longtime confidante on April 1, 2003.
“I will be in NYC for 4 days starting April 22 … can we book that massage now?”
Two days later, Maxwell responded: “all that rubbing — are you sure you can take it? The thought frankly is leaving me a little breathless.”
A day after the emails became public, Wasserman again apologized.
“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 in a statement.
Thursday’s press conference also included members of the International Olympic Committee as well as LA28 President and Chairperson Casey Wasserman and Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover.
Beyond the controversy surrounding Wasserman, officials faced questions about immigration issues, geopolitical tensions involving countries such as Iran, and coordination with the federal government ahead of the Games.
Security concerns have also emerged in recent months.
In April, then-LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell warned that the city lacked sufficient funding to provide all of the security resources needed for the Olympics.
LA28 officials did not provide additional details on security planning during Thursday’s press conference, emphasizing instead that the Olympics have been designated a National Special Security Event (NSSE) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a classification that unlocks extensive federal security support.
The Post has reached out to LA28 for additional comment.
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