MILAN — Pressure continues to mount for Casey Wasserman to leave as head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing team after the city’s mayor urged him to step down because of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass told CNN late Monday that «my opinion is that he should step down» despite Wasserman getting support last week from the LA28 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 United States government files days before the Milan Cortina Winter Games opened.
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Scrutiny on Wasserman has escalated despite the LA Olympics board last week backing him to stay based on a review, which he cooperated with, by outside legal counsel of his contacts with Epstein and Maxwell.
«I think that decision was unfortunate,» Bass told CNN. «I don’t support the decision. I do think that we need to look at the leadership. However, my job as mayor of Los Angeles is to make sure that our city is completely prepared to have the best Olympics that has ever happened in Olympic history.»
The mayor and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have key roles to play in the success of the L.A. Olympics and Paralympics by ensuring all layers of government support the complex logistical challenges that will take over the city in July and August of 2028.
Wasserman has been a driving force of the L.A. Olympics since the bid was launched in 2015. Questions about his status have swirled since before he arrived in Milan two weeks ago to meet with IOC members and attend the opening ceremony.
The L.A. organizing team gave an update of the hosting plan to IOC members at their annual meeting.
Wasserman and other officials were quizzed on issues such as visa processing for global visitors to the U.S., though not on personal matters.
He has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and Maxwell.
«I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,» which was «long before her horrific crimes came to light,» Wasserman said in a statement issued before coming to Milan.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on five counts of sex trafficking and abuse of minors, and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
