L.A. Olympics head facing calls to resign

His apology on Epstein files doesn’t lessen heat

- Dakota Smith

LA28 HEAD Casey Wasserman has not addressed demands that he resign. IN MILAN: IOC officials lay out plans in new phase of the Games process

(ALLEN J. SCHABEN Los Angeles Times)

Casey Wasserman, the head of the LA28 Olympic committee, is facing growing calls to resign after the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein documents revealed racy emails between him and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Wasserman, in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, has not responded to demands from several L.A. politicians who say that the controversy doesn’t align with the values of the Games and that he needs to step down.

He issued a statement over the weekend apologizing for the emails but hasn't directly addressed reporters in the U.S. or Italy, where Olympics officials are facing questions about Wasserman after his name surfaced in the files released by the U.S. Department of Justice in the Epstein case.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in New York City’s Metropolitan Correctional Center while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declined to weigh in on the controversy around Wasserman, releasing a statement Wednesday that said LA28’s board of directors is responsible for deciding LA28’s leadership.

Calls and emails to representatives for several LA28 board members, including actor Jessica Alba and entertainment mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, were not returned this week.

ROBERT GAUTHIER Los Angeles Times IN ITALY, rain soaks Piazza del Doumo two days before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.