LA City Council to Address LA28 Chair's Ethics
The Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to debate a resolution concerning Casey Wasserman, the chairman of the LA28 Olympic organizing committee. The discussion stems from unspecified ethical concerns about potential conflicts of interest related to his business dealings and the upcoming games.
The City Council's resolution, introduced by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and seconded by Councilwoman Imelda Padilla, stems from the release of documents detailing past associations between Wasserman and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The resolution urges a "thorough and transparent review" of Wasserman's involvement in matters related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigations. Calls for Wasserman's resignation have come from several public figures, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, City Controller Kenneth Mejia, and multiple city council members. The City of West Hollywood also unanimously passed its own resolution calling for him to step down, citing potential damage to public trust in the Olympic Games. The controversy centers on "racy" and "flirtatious" emails exchanged between Wasserman and Maxwell years ago, which were made public through the release of Epstein-related files. Wasserman, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's crimes, has apologized for the emails, stating they occurred long before the criminal conduct came to light. In response to the growing controversy and the loss of clients at his talent agency, Wasserman announced he is selling the company to devote his full attention to the Olympics and to avoid being a "distraction." This move followed several high-profile clients, including singer Chappell Roan and soccer legend Abby Wambach, publicly leaving his agency. Despite the external pressure, the LA28 board's executive committee has continued to publicly support Wasserman. The committee stated that with the help of the O'Melveny & Myers law firm, it conducted its own review and found his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not extend beyond what was already publicly known. Beyond the recent revelations, questions about potential conflicts of interest have been raised previously. Between 2016 and 2019, the LA28 organizing committee reportedly paid two companies owned by Wasserman a total of $3.6 million for social media marketing and "travel expenses."
