LA mayor calls for Casey Wasserman to step down as Olympics chair over Epstein ties

"Pressure built Tuesday on Casey Wasserman as head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing team after the city's mayor urged him to leave over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend. LA Mayor Karen Bass told CNN late Monday my opinion is that he should step down despite Wasserman getting support last week from the LA 2028 organizing board to stay. The issue has been a distraction for the International Olympic Committee this month since Wasserman's flirtatious emails from 2003 with Ghislaine Maxwell were published in a release of US government files days before the Milano Cortina Winter Games opened."

"The IOC had consistently deflected questions in Milan about Wasserman, saying it was a matter for the LA28 board, though its language shifted slightly Tuesday. I understand there are many conversations happening at this moment but I will not make any further comment, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said Tuesday at the Olympic body's daily news conference in Milan. This is obviously a matter for the board of LA28 still at this stage, Adams said."

Karen Bass publicly urged Casey Wasserman to step down as head of the LA 2028 organizing team over his ties to Ghislaine Maxwell. Flirtatious emails from 2003 between Wasserman and Maxwell were published in released U.S. government files shortly before the Milano Cortina Winter Games, drawing scrutiny. The IOC deflected responsibility to the LA28 board while its spokesman said he would not comment further. Wasserman has lost clients and is selling his agency amid the fallout. The LA28 board recently backed him after an outside legal review, but scrutiny and calls to reassess leadership persist.

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