WASHINGTON (AP) — There were Nobel Prize winners and acclaimed authors. Pioneers of science and medicine. At least one was a college president. High-profile academics hung out in Jeffrey Epstein’s classroom for years, even after he was convicted of sex crimes. Now, in the face of backlash, many say they were driven by a single factor: Epstein’s wealth.
A new trove of documents released by the Justice Department reveals that Epstein’s access to education was deeper than previously known. He remained close with dozens of researchers who exchanged chatty emails and leaned on him to fund their projects. Some sent him gifts and visited him in New York and Florida. Many offered sympathy as he faced the consequences of his crime.
The new investigation is landing on several academics whose emails have surfaced among the files, revealing conversations that cover topics ranging from scientific studies to sex and romance. At least one scholar has resigned over the new revelations, and another was pulled from teaching while Yale University reviewed his conduct.
When asked about relationships that often lasted for years, many have offered a similar response: Epstein had money to give, and they needed it.
In the hyper-competitive world of research funding, professors rely not only on federal grants but also on private donations from wealthy benefactors, which they usually must secure themselves. Doing so helps guarantee their jobs, fund graduate students and advance their research.
For some, Epstein was a willing donor with a personal interest in science.
A professor says his Epstein affair was ‘standard operating procedure’
Neurologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Mark Tramo said his relationship with Epstein has always been one of donation farming. He exchanged dozens of emails and calls with Epstein over the course of more than a decade, delving into topics beyond the commercial, record show. Tramo occasionally sent Epstein gifts and offered medical advice for Epstein’s back pain.
After Epstein’s prison term ended in 2009, Tramo sent an email: “Only 13 days left, mate!!!!! — where and when is the party?” Tramo later suggested hanging out in Florida or New York. He offered to help Epstein “in any way” he could as he tried to rebuild his image.
Tramo told The Associated Press that he did not know until years later that underage girls were involved in Epstein’s crimes, and that he now regrets the relationship. Still, Tramo described his behavior as “standard operating procedure” when dealing with potential donors.
“It is human nature that philanthropists expect at least some level of comfort from fundraisers and their larger benefactors,” he said in an email.
UCLA officials did not respond to emails seeking comment.
Trumo estimates that he received about $200,000 from Epstein to support his research. Financier money became more attractive as federal funding became harder to win, he said, especially for risky “outside the box” research like his. Tramo runs an institute that studies the relationship between music and the brain.
Private money provides a shortcut to research funding
Leslie Lenkowski, a scholar of philanthropy at Indiana University, said the revelations underscore the allure of private money in research. Epstein offered a shortcut to funding without the scrutiny and red tape that comes with federal grants, he said. Epstein also offered entry into the world of wealth and power, surrounding himself with famous figures that heightened his appeal, Lenkowski said.
“It blindsided people,” he said. “They saw the money coming in, they realized the risk was low, and so they went after it.”
The new emails reveal a deeper relationship between Epstein and Leon Botstein, president of Bard College in New York than previously known.
The two met on several occasions, with Epstein sometimes arriving by helicopter at the small, private college. Botstein asked Epstein to be a guest at his 2013 graduation ceremony, and the president — a conductor — later suggested they meet for an opera performance.
In 2018, weeks after the Miami Herald reported new details on Epstein’s criminal charges, Botstein said: “I want you to know that I hope you’re expecting and can be expected.” In at least two emails, Botstein referred to his “friendship” with Epstein.
Botstein now denies any personal connection. “Mr. Epstein was not my friend; he was a potential donor,” Botstein said in a campus letter this week.
Epstein drove $150,000 to Botstein in 2016, which the president said he had already donated to the college. Epstein later dangled the prospect of a larger donation, but it never materialized, said Botstein spokesman David Wade.
“The only reason President Botstein communicated with Jeffrey Epstein was because of fundraising for the college,” Wade said.
Epstein cultivated scholars at several colleges
Epstein often positioned himself as a patron of science, and some of his academic affiliations are well documented. He gave more than $9 million to Harvard, most of which went to a research center started by mathematics and biology professor Martin Nowak. Harvard approved in 2021 that Novak had his own office in Epstein’s building and paid regular visits.
During Epstein’s travels to Harvard, records show that he spent his days meeting with prominent academics who sometimes became close friends. He occasionally met with US Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Larry Summers and linguist and activist Noam Chomsky.
The emails reveal how Epstein cultivated a network of scientists, asking those he knew to connect him with others he respected. In other cases, researchers sought him out, asking him to bankroll their projects. The files include emails from academics at the University of Texas, University of Tennessee, Indiana University and others.
Two Yale University professors were found to have had an affair with Epstein. One, computer science professor David Gelernter, was removed from teaching while the university reviewed his conduct. A 2011 message in Gelernter’s email with Epstein included a suggestion of a Yale senior for a job, described as a “v little good-looking blonde.”
Yale sociologist and physician Dr. Other files reveal that Nicholas Christakis met Epstein in 2013 and exchanged emails with him. Christakis told the AP that he had met to raise money for his lab, although Epstein never provided support. He said he was horrified to learn of Epstein’s crimes later.
“Any funds I raise are administered by Yale University, and the Yale Development Office was aware of and supported my meeting with Mr. Epstein,” Christakis said in an email.
Yale officials declined to comment.
Other files reveal Epstein’s friendship with museum curator David Ross, who resigned this month from his position at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Some of the emails appeared intended to comfort Epstein as he faced public turmoil.
“It’s disheartening to see how you’ve been dragged back into the mud,” Ross wrote in 2015. “I’m still proud to call you friend.”
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