LA Mayor Urges Olympics Committee Chair To Resign Over Epstein Emails

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is calling on Casey Wasserman to resign from his leadership role with the LA28 Organizing Committee following backlash over past emails tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Bass said this week that while she does not have the authority to remove Wasserman from his post, she believes he should step aside for the good of the city and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Ultimately, any decision on the LA28 leadership must be made by the LA28 Board,” Bass said to CNN. “As you know, they are a separate and independent nonprofit organization.”

“The board made a decision. I think that decision was unfortunate. I don’t support the decision,” Bass continued. “My opinion is that he should step down. That is not the opinion of the board.”

The controversy centers on recently released Justice Department documents that include flirtatious 2003 email exchanges between Wasserman and Maxwell. The emails resurfaced amid broader transparency efforts surrounding Epstein’s network and contacts. Though there is no allegation that Wasserman was involved in Epstein’s criminal activity, critics argue that the optics alone are damaging.

Wasserman, a prominent sports executive and longtime architect of Los Angeles’ Olympic bid, has acknowledged corresponding with Maxwell more than two decades ago. He has apologized for the emails, describing them as a mistake from a time before Epstein’s crimes were widely understood. He has repeatedly stated he never had a business or personal relationship with Epstein beyond what has already been publicly reported, including a 2002 humanitarian-related flight on Epstein’s plane.

“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.

Jenny Chandler and Casey Wasserman attend 4th Annual Kering Foundation Caring for Women Dinner at Seagram Building in New York, NY on September 11, 2025.

“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Wasserman added. “I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”

Despite the mayor’s comments, the LA28 executive committee recently reviewed the matter and voted to retain Wasserman as chairman. According to reports, the committee relied on legal findings that his past interactions did not extend beyond information already known publicly. Still, pressure is building.

Several local elected officials have joined calls for Wasserman to step down, arguing that Olympic leadership must be above reproach — particularly with Los Angeles on the hook financially if costs spiral out of control. Under agreements negotiated years ago, the city could bear responsibility for certain overruns, raising the stakes for public trust in the organizing committee’s leadership.

“I think Casey Wasserman needs to step down,” LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn said to the LA Times. “Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028.”

At the same time, governance questions have surfaced. LA28 operates as a private nonprofit, not a city department. While the mayor appoints members to the board, she does not directly control day-to-day operations. Any move to remove Wasserman would likely have to come from within the board itself.

That structure has frustrated some critics who argue that taxpayers deserve greater transparency. LA28’s executive committee deliberations were held privately, and the identities of all decision-makers involved in the review have not been fully detailed publicly.

The fallout has extended beyond City Hall. Reports indicate that Wasserman is moving to sell his sports and talent agency, a decision framed as an effort to focus entirely on delivering the 2028 Games.

For Bass, the political calculus is delicate. Whether the LA28 board reconsiders its position remains unclear. For now, Wasserman retains his title — and the mounting scrutiny that comes with it.

As preparations accelerate and deadlines approach, the question facing Los Angeles is not just who leads the Games, but whether leadership can weather a controversy that refuses to fade. With billions in economic impact and international reputation on the line, the pressure is unlikely to ease anytime soon.