The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee moved to shore up confidence in the leadership of LA28 on Thursday, stepping into a storm that has engulfed the organising committee after the name of chairman Casey Wasserman surfaced in the newly released Epstein files.
Apology and Outcry
Wasserman issued an apology on Saturday after emails he sent in 2003 to Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s close associate, emerged among millions of pages released by the US Department of Justice. The disclosure prompted immediate calls from some Los Angeles officials for him to step down from his high-profile role steering the 2028 Games.
USOPC Throws Its Weight Behind LA28
Speaking at a Milan news conference on the eve of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Gene Sykes, head of the USOPC, offered a robust defence of LA28’s leadership. “Casey’s made a statement that reflects the perspective he has on what came to light when the emails were released with the rest of the Epstein files,” Sykes said. “That is out there. We have nothing to add to that. His statement stands on its own.”
Sykes, who said he lives in Los Angeles and understands the city’s politics, added a ringing endorsement of the organising committee’s performance. “I have more confidence today in LA28’s operational capabilities, its leadership, the quality of what it’s doing and how well they have executed than I have at any point in time since I began working with LA28 at its inception in 2015,” he declared.
Local Leaders Demand Accountability
Despite the USOPC’s backing, pressure mounted from local officials who argued Wasserman’s continued presence distracts from the work of preparing athletes and staging the Games. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn told The Los Angeles Times that Wasserman’s role on the world stage could divert attention from athletes and the enormous preparations required for 2028.
City council member Hugo Soto-Martinez was more pointed, urging Wasserman to resign and highlighting Maxwell’s central role in one of the nation’s most notorious sex-trafficking cases. “Casey Wasserman should step aside immediately,” Soto-Martinez said. Los Angeles City financial controller Kenneth Mejia echoed the sentiment on social media, insisting the city could not entrust its financial future to someone linked to Epstein and Maxwell.
Wasserman’s Position and the Wider Context
Wasserman, 51, has not been accused of wrongdoing and faces no criminal charges related to the Epstein scandal. In his statement he stressed he “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”
The allegations sit against a grim backdrop: Maxwell was convicted and sentenced in 2022 for her role in recruiting and grooming underage victims for Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Federal prosecutors have said Maxwell helped procure girls, some as young as 14, for Epstein between the mid-1990s and around 2004.
What Comes Next
As the debate intensifies, LA28 and the USOPC find themselves balancing reputational risk against the logistical and financial stakes of delivering an Olympic Games. With voices on both sides demanding answers, the coming days will test how the movement from scandal to resolution is managed — and whether leadership continuity or change will best serve the city and its athletes.
