Mayor Bass Calls for Resignation of 2028 Olympics Chairman Over Epstein-Related Emails

The Epstein files have rocked the LA 2028 Olympics (LA28). Fresh documents from the Department of Justice’s massive release of Jeffrey Epstein files have thrust the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee into the center of a growing scandal, prompting Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to publicly call for his resignation.

Casey Wasserman, the powerful Hollywood talent agent and longtime driving force behind LA28, exchanged highly suggestive emails with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 — years before Maxwell’s conviction for sex trafficking minors in concert with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The emails surfaced in the latest tranche of over three million pages of government files released in late January 2026 under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

In one March 14, 2003, message, Wasserman wrote to Maxwell: “I think of you all the time. So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”  

Another exchange referenced massages and a foggy beach scenario. Maxwell asked if conditions would allow Wasserman to “float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?” Wasserman replied, “or something like that.”

Wasserman, then 29 and married, has issued a statement expressing regret: “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light. I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”

No allegations of wrongdoing have been leveled against Wasserman in connection with Epstein or Maxwell’s crimes. Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after her 2021 conviction on five counts of sex trafficking and abuse of minors. In 2019, Epstein died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial in New York.

Background on the Epstein Files and Wasserman’s Mentions

The 2026 document dump — mandated by Congress to provide greater transparency — includes investigative materials, emails, flight logs, and other records long sought by victims and the public. Wasserman’s name appears dozens of times, primarily tied to the 2003 email thread with Maxwell and his previously known single flight on Epstein’s plane during the 2002 Clinton Foundation AIDS research trip to Africa (which also included Bill Clinton, Chris Tucker, and others).

Wasserman has maintained the trip was purely humanitarian and that his contact with Maxwell and Epstein was limited and predated public knowledge of their criminal enterprise.

The revelations have already cost Wasserman dearly in the private sector. High-profile clients including pop star Chappell Roan and soccer legend Abby Wambach have dropped his agency. Last week, Wasserman announced he is selling the Wasserman Group — the entertainment and sports marketing powerhouse he founded more than two decades ago — to focus on the Olympics amid the distraction.

Political Fallout in California

On Monday, February 17, Mayor Karen Bass told CNN that Wasserman “should step down” as LA28 chairman, calling the LA28 board’s prior decision to retain him “unfortunate.” Bass emphasized she cannot fire him but insisted leadership must be reviewed to ensure the city hosts “the best Olympics that has ever happened.”

The LA28 executive board had unanimously backed Wasserman earlier this month after hiring outside counsel (O’Melveny & Myers) to review his contacts. The board concluded his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell “did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented” and praised his leadership.

Other California Democrats, including L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn and City Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martínez and Monica Rodriguez, have also called for Wasserman’s ouster.

Governor Gavin Newsom, who along with Bass holds significant sway over state support for the 2028 Games, has not yet commented publicly on the matter.

Wasserman has been central to the LA Olympics effort since the successful 2015 bid. The Games are scheduled for July-August 2028, with no taxpayer funding promised — though critics continue to warn of inevitable cost overruns and logistical nightmares for the cash-strapped city and state.