LA 2028 Olympics committee chair Casey Wasserman was under fire and facing calls to resign on Tuesday after reports surfaced that he sent "racy emails" to Ghislaine Maxwell.
Wasserman has said that he regretted the messages between himself and Maxwell, which were discovered in the most recent trove of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice last week, according to The Los Angeles Times.
High-ranking politician Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents parts of Southern Los Angeles and coastal communities, is working with the organizing group to plan the Olympic Games, urged Wasserman to step down from his role on the Olympic committee, The Times reported.
“I think Casey Wasserman needs to step down,” Hahn said.
“Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028,” she said.
The personal emails found were between Wasserman and Maxwell from 20 years ago.
"In emails sent in March and April 2003, Wasserman — who was married at the time — writes to Maxwell about wanting to book a massage and wanting to see her in a tight leather outfit," according to The Times. "She offers to give him a massage that can 'drive a man wild,' and the pair discuss how much they miss each other, according to files released and posted online by the U.S. Department of Justice."
Wasserman released a statement Saturday and said he regretted the email correspondence with Maxwell. He said the exchange happened "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,” Wasserman said in the statement.
Wasserman was currently in Italy to attend meetings ahead of the Winter Olympics.