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Calls for Olympic Games chairman to step down over Maxwell links

Casey Wasserman, Chairperson and President, LA28 speaks onstage
Casey Wasserman, Chairperson and President, LA28 speaks onstage (Getty Images)
  • Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for Casey Wasserman to step down as chairman of the committee organising the 2028 Olympic Games.
  • This demand follows the publication of US Justice Department files revealing email exchanges from over two decades ago between Wasserman and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
  • Wasserman has denied having a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and previously apologised for his association with Maxwell, stating it occurred before their crimes were known.
  • Despite Mayor Bass's opinion, the LA28 board reviewed the situation and decided Wasserman would remain as chairman, concluding his interactions predated public knowledge of Epstein and Maxwell's criminal activities.
  • Bass, while disagreeing with the board's decision, acknowledged she lacks the power to remove Wasserman and stated her primary focus is on preparing Los Angeles to host the Games.
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