Epstein’s wealth helped shape who in academia stayed in his orbit even after his sex-crimes conviction, according to a new set of documents released by the Justice Department and described by The Associated Press. The records portray a pattern of academics who, facing the pressure of research funding, pursued Epstein as a private backer while their institutional ties and personal relationships deepened through years of email exchanges and visits.
Some of the documents include accounts of friendships and professional outreach that ranged from research topics to conversations about sex and romance, the AP reported. The scrutiny has prompted actions by multiple universities, including a professor resignation and other measures as institutions review conduct and correspondence that surfaced in the Epstein files.
A UCLA neurologist, Dr. Mark Tramo, described his relationship with Epstein as one centered on donations. Tramo exchanged dozens of emails and calls with Epstein over more than a decade and, he said, sent gifts and provided medical advice for Epstein’s back pain, according to the AP’s account of the file contents.
Tramo also provided a detailed description of how he approached fundraising. As Epstein’s jail term drew toward its end in 2009, Tramo sent an email that included: “Only 13 days to go, buddy!!!!! — where and when’s the party?” The AP reported that Tramo later suggested a hangout in Florida or New York and offered to help “in any way” as Epstein sought to rebuild his image.
Tramo told the AP he did not know until years later that Epstein’s crimes involved underage girls and said he regrets the relationship. Still, the records show Tramo described his behavior as a fundraising tactic, saying in an email, “It’s human nature that philanthropists expect at least a modicum of congeniality from fundraisers and beneficiaries of their largess,” and he estimated Epstein provided about $200,000 to support his research.
Leslie Lenkowsky, a scholar of philanthropy at Indiana University, said the newly revealed materials underscore what private money can offer in an environment where grants can be difficult to win. He said Epstein provided a shortcut to funding “without the scrutiny and red tape that come with federal grants,” and he said Epstein’s access to wealth and power helped make the risk appear minimal to those seeking donations.
The documents also add detail to Epstein’s relationship with Leon Botstein, president of Bard College. The AP reported that Botstein and Epstein met on multiple occasions, including when Epstein sometimes arrived by helicopter to the college, and that Botstein asked Epstein to be a guest at the 2013 graduation ceremonies and later suggested an opera meeting.
In 2018, weeks after The Miami Herald reported new details on Epstein’s criminal prosecution, Botstein reached out with a message that included: “I want you to know that I hope you are holding up as well as can be expected.” The AP said that at least two emails referred to Botstein’s “friendship” with Epstein, even as Botstein now denied any personal connection.
Botstein said in a campus letter that “Mr. Epstein was not my friend; he was a prospective donor.” A spokesperson for Botstein, David Wade, told the AP that “The only reason President Botstein ever communicated with Jeffrey Epstein was in the work of fundraising for the College,” and he said Epstein steered $150,000 to Botstein in 2016, which Botstein had previously said he donated to the college.
The Epstein files also describe how he cultivated academic relationships broadly, with some ties to prominent universities and researchers. The AP reported that Epstein gave more than $9 million to Harvard, most of it directed to a research facility started by Martin Nowak, a math and biology professor, and that Harvard sanctioned Nowak in 2021 after revelations about Epstein’s office access and visits.
During Epstein’s trips to Harvard, the AP said he met with prominent academics, including times with former U.S. Treasury secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers and with linguist and activist Noam Chomsky. The AP also said the emails portray Epstein seeking links between researchers he respected, and that in other cases, researchers sought him to bankroll projects.
The new trove likewise includes Yale-related correspondence that prompted institutional action. Two Yale professors were singled out in the AP report as having newly found ties: computer science professor David Gelernter, whose emails included one that suggested a Yale senior for a job and described her as a “ v small good-looking blonde,” has been removed from teaching while Yale reviews his conduct.
Nicholas Christakis, a Yale sociologist and physician, told the AP that he met with Epstein in 2013 to raise money for his lab and that Epstein never provided backing. Christakis said in an email that “Any funds I raise are administered by Yale University, and the Yale development office was aware of and supported my meeting with Mr. Epstein,” and he told the AP he was horrified to learn later of Epstein’s crimes, while Yale officials declined to comment.
The AP’s account also described other academics whose files surfaced among the Epstein trove. It reported that David Ross, a museum curator who resigned from his post at the School of Visual Arts in New York this month, had emails that appeared to aim at consoling Epstein as he faced public turmoil, including a message in 2015 that said: “It is depressing to see how you are once again being dragged through the mud,” and “I’m still proud to call you a friend.”