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Ex-Treasury chief Lawrence Summers is exiting the directorate at the artificial intelligence firm, just several days after a batch of emails between him and deceased financier the accused trafficker became publicly available.

Summers remarked in a statement that he was "appreciative for the chance to have served, optimistic about the promise of the company, and eagerly await observing their advancement".

The former Harvard president, who once presided over the prestigious university, announced on Monday that he would be withdrawing from public commitments due to his connections with Epstein.

Digital Correspondence

The recently released messages demonstrated that the economist exchanged messages with Epstein until the day before his 2019 apprehension for suspected sex trafficking of underage individuals.

In another announcement, the AI firm said it understood the economist's decision to step down.

"We appreciate his significant contributions and the insight he provided to the Board," the company commented.

Political Context

This news comes after the two houses of the legislative branch agreed on this week to endorse a bill that would compel the Department of Justice to make public its documents on Jeffrey Epstein.

The measure will afterward head to the desk of the White House for approval. The President has stated he plans to endorse the bill, after modifying his stance on the issue following pushback from his followers.

Message Details

A batch of Epstein-connected correspondence made public by the House Oversight Committee days ago included numerous high-profile figures in the financier's past associates, without indicating any legal wrongdoing by those figures.

The messages showed that the economist and the financier often met for meals, with he often attempting to introduce Summers to influential international personalities.

Individual Statement

After the emails were shared with the public, the former official stated he assumed "full responsibility for my ill-advised judgment to maintain communicating with Mr Epstein".

He further stated that he hoped "to reestablish trust and mend bonds with the people nearest to me".

Professional History

The professor held high-level positions under two Democratic presidents; functioning as Treasury chief under the former president, and as head of the economic advisory body under Barack Obama.

He presided over the institution from the early 2000s and remains a professor there. When announcing his departure from public roles recently on Monday, he stated he would persist with his academic responsibilities.

Further Repercussions

Following Summers' statement on earlier this week, the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank in Washington where Summers was a prominent member, verified that he was ceased to be affiliated with the group.

He entered the board of the technology firm, which makes ChatGPT, in last year - following a unsuccessful effort to replace its chief executive Sam Altman.