Olympic Scandal in Los Angeles: Mayor Calls for Resignation of LA 2028 Organizing Chief

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that Casey Wasserman should resign from his position as chair of the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic Games, following the emergence of documents detailing his past interactions with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking, AFP reports.

The documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice include personal-tone email exchanges dating back more than two decades between Wasserman and Maxwell, the former associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In an interview with CNN, Karen Bass stated clearly: "My opinion is that he should resign. However, this is not the view of the board.”

The mayor specified that she does not have the authority to dismiss him, and that her priority remains preparing the city for the Olympic Games. Organizers of the 2028 Summer Olympics decided last week that Wasserman would remain in his position after an internal review. The board concluded that: his only direct interaction with Epstein was a humanitarian flight to Africa 23 years ago, organized through the Clinton Foundation; his relationship with Maxwell was limited to email exchanges; all contacts occurred before the crimes of the two became publicly known.

The scandal has already had effects in the sports and arts worlds: former women's soccer world champion Abby Wambach ended her collaboration with Wasserman's agency; country artist Orville Peck did the same.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Wasserman has begun the process of selling his talent agency, considering that the scandal has become a "distraction” for the company's activities. He has denied having had personal or business relationships with Epstein and previously stated that his connection with Maxwell took place before her actions were publicly known.