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US Olympic body backs LA28 leadership amid Wasserman scandal / Photo: © AFP
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US Olympic body backs LA28 leadership amid Wasserman scandal
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee gave strong backing to the Los Angeles 2028 Games leadership on Thursday, following calls for LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman to resign after his name appeared in the Epstein files.
Wasserman apologised in a statement on Saturday, after emails he sent to Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell dating from 2003 surfaced in the millions of pages of documents released by the US Department of Justice.
Local officials in Los Angeles have called on Wasserman to step down from his 2028 Olympics post.
But at a news conference in Milan on the eve of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the head of the USOPC, Gene Sykes, backed Wasserman.
"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.
"I live in LA myself and I understand the politics of LA quite well, and I would say that 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," Sykes added.
Wasserman, 51, has not been accused of wrongdoing and has not been charged with any offence related to the Epstein scandal, which has dogged President Donald Trump's administration.
But some city officials said Wasserman should no longer front the organising committee.
"Having (Wasserman) represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous efforts needed to prepare for 2028," Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn told The Los Angeles Times.
Hugo Soto-Martinez, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, also called on Wasserman to resign.
"At the same time as Ghislaine Maxwell was orchestrating one of the most notorious sex-trafficking operations in our country's history, she was allegedly romantically involved with the person now serving as chair of LA28," Soto-Martinez said in a statement. "Casey Wasserman should step aside immediately."
In a post on social media, Los Angeles City financial controller Kenneth Mejia added: "Los Angeles cannot trust our financial future to someone connected with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
"LA 2028 Olympics Committee Chair Casey Wasserman must take accountability and resign."
In his statement, Wasserman emphasised that he "never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein."
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 after being convicted the previous year for helping Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse underage victims.
Federal prosecutors said Maxwell had helped procure girls -- some as young as 14 -- for Epstein between 1994 and around 2004.
Epstein took his own life in 2019 while in prison awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell was sentenced for her crimes in 2022 and is serving a jail sentence.
X.Roberts--SFF
