Mayor Pushes for Change in LA Olympic Leadership

The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, has urged the chair of the 2028 Olympic planning committee to resign. She said this after documents from the U. S. Justice Department showed emails between the chair, Casey Wasserman, and Ghislaine Maxwell, a known sex trafficker. These messages date back more than twenty years and were sent before Maxwell’s crimes became public. Wasserman has said he never had a personal or business tie to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. He apologized for his past connection with Maxwell, claiming it occurred before her or Epstein’s wrongdoing was known. Last week the committee board decided that Wasserman would remain chair. Their review concluded that his contact with Epstein and Maxwell was limited to a single flight on Epstein’s plane for a humanitarian trip in Africa, organized by the Clinton Foundation.They also noted that his email exchanges with Maxwell happened shortly after that flight. The board praised Wasserman’s leadership over the past decade. But Mayor Bass disagrees with their decision. She stated she does not have the authority to fire him, yet she believes his presence is problematic. Her priority now is to ensure the city can host a flawless Olympic Games. She wants Los Angeles to deliver an event that could be the best in history. At the same time, she remains concerned about the moral implications of Maxwell’s actions. Recently, reports surfaced that Wasserman is selling his talent and marketing agency. He told staff he felt like a distraction from the company’s work, which may influence his future role in the Olympics.