Harvard University and Bard College are facing renewed scrutiny from lawmakers over their past connections to Jeffrey Epstein, as Congress seeks more information about how the convicted sex offender used relationships with elite academic institutions to build credibility and maintain access to influential circles.
The new requests come from the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, who is asking both universities for records related to Epstein’s donations, communications, institutional contacts, and relationships with faculty and leadership. The inquiry focuses on whether previous internal reviews by the schools fully examined how Epstein’s ties to higher education may have helped him protect his reputation after his criminal history became public.
According to the request, Harvard and Bard both attempted in the past to examine their connections to Epstein, but lawmakers now argue those reviews may have been incomplete. The letters seek a broader accounting of what university leaders knew, how decisions were made, and whether the institutions adequately addressed Epstein’s access to faculty, students, donors, and campus-linked programs.
At Harvard, lawmakers are seeking financial records and communications connected to Epstein’s funding of research and his personal relationships with faculty members. Epstein donated more than $9 million to Harvard and affiliated programs between 1998 and 2008. The university later said it would no longer accept donations from him, but lawmakers allege that earlier reviews did not fully uncover all later contributions or the full extent of Epstein’s continued relationships with people connected to the university.
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The inquiry also mentions former Harvard president Larry Summers, who served from 2001 to 2006. Recently released Epstein-related records showed that Summers continued communicating with Epstein after Epstein’s conviction. Summers has since said he is ashamed of his actions and takes responsibility for continuing to communicate with Epstein.
Harvard announced earlier this year that Summers would step away from teaching at the end of the academic year. The university did not immediately respond to the latest request for comment, according to the source report.
Bard College is also facing new questions. Lawmakers are asking the college to provide records related to Epstein’s donations, communications, admissions issues, interactions with leadership, and the results of an internal review. They are also seeking a transcribed interview with outgoing Bard president Leon Botstein, who led the college for more than five decades.
Bard’s board of trustees previously commissioned an independent review of Botstein’s relationship with Epstein. A public summary of that review said it found no illegal conduct by Botstein connected to Epstein, but it also concluded that he was not fully accurate in describing the relationship publicly or to the Bard community. The review also said Botstein did not fully recognize the reputational risks Epstein posed to Bard and its students.
Botstein has denied being friends with Epstein and has said he never witnessed inappropriate conduct or had visibility into Epstein’s crimes. He has not been charged with wrongdoing connected to Epstein. Bard said it had received the congressional letter and was reviewing it.
Lawmakers say the issue is not only about donations. They are also seeking to understand whether Epstein used relationships with universities and prominent academics to rehabilitate his image and gain access to people, institutions, and social networks that helped shield him from scrutiny.
The request asks both institutions to provide information by July 1.
Why It Matters
The renewed scrutiny matters because Epstein’s access to elite institutions remains one of the most troubling parts of his public history. Lawmakers are questioning whether universities did enough to examine how Epstein used academic relationships, donations, and influence to improve his public image.
The case also raises broader questions about donor oversight, institutional transparency, and how universities handle relationships with wealthy figures who have serious criminal histories.
What Comes Next
Harvard and Bard are expected to review the congressional requests and decide what records to provide. Lawmakers may seek interviews, internal documents, and further testimony if they believe previous university reviews did not provide a complete picture.
The inquiry could also increase pressure on other institutions that had ties to Epstein to release more information about donations, faculty relationships, and internal decision-making.
A new report says lawmakers are seeking more information about Harvard and Bard’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Exclusive: Harvard and Bard haven’t gotten to the bottom of their Epstein connections, according to letters send by the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee https://t.co/NxJlM9lxtq
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 17, 2026
