LA28 Olympics Chair Faces Scrutiny

The resolution, introduced by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, cites concerns over Wasserman's past association with the late Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell. It specifically points to salacious emails exchanged between Wasserman and Maxwell years ago, which were released as part of the "Epstein files." The resolution urges the LA28 Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee to ensure leadership reflects the Olympic values of integrity and accountability. While the City Council's resolution does not explicitly demand Wasserman's resignation, several prominent officials have already called for him to step down. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, City Controller Kenneth Mejia, and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn have all publicly stated that Wasserman should resign his position to avoid distracting from the Games. The City of West Hollywood has already unanimously passed its own resolution calling for Wasserman's removal. In response to the growing controversy, Wasserman has announced he will sell his prominent sports marketing and talent agency to focus entirely on his Olympic duties. He has apologized for the emails, noting they were exchanged over two decades ago, before the extent of Epstein and Maxwell's crimes was publicly known. The LA28 board's executive committee has continued to publicly support Wasserman. They hired the law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP to conduct an independent review of his past interactions. The review concluded that Wasserman's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not extend beyond what was already public, including a single humanitarian flight on Epstein's plane with the Clinton Foundation in 2003.