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Former US treasury secretary Larry Summers is leaving the directorate at the ChatGPT creator, just days after a series of electronic messages between him and deceased financier the disgraced billionaire became public.

The economist stated in a release that he was "grateful for the privilege to have served, optimistic about the prospects of the organization, and eagerly await tracking their progress".

The former Harvard president, who formerly presided over the prestigious university, stated on earlier this week that he would be withdrawing from public commitments due to his association with Epstein.

Message Exchange

The freshly disclosed emails demonstrated that the economist communicated with the financier until the day before his 2019 arrest for alleged human trafficking of underage individuals.

In another announcement, the technology organization expressed it respected Summers' choice to depart.

"We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he offered to the Board," the company commented.

Legislative Background

This news comes after both chambers of the legislative branch decided on this week to pass a bill that would mandate the federal prosecutors to make public its records on Epstein.

The bill will then proceed to the office of the White House for signature. The President has indicated he intends to sign the legislation, after modifying his position on the issue following pressure from his supporters.

Correspondence Findings

A group of Epstein-related emails disclosed by the legislative panel last week referenced several high-profile figures in the financier's past associates, without implying any criminal activity by those people.

The communications showed that the economist and Epstein regularly had dinners together, with Epstein often seeking to link the official to prominent global figures.

Personal Accountability

After the emails were released with the wider community, Summers said he took "complete accountability for my misguided decision to maintain corresponding with Jeffrey Epstein".

He continued that he wanted "to restore faith and repair bonds with the persons nearest to me".

Previous Positions

Summers occupied senior posts under Democratic administrations; serving as treasury secretary under the former president, and as director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama.

He headed Harvard from 2001 to 2006 and continues to be a professor there. When stating his step-down from public duties previously on Monday, he stated he would continue his educational duties.

Other Impacts

Following his announcement on earlier this week, the Center for American Progress, a progressive policy institute in the capital where Summers was a senior fellow, announced that Summers was no longer connected with the organization.

He became part of the board of the AI company, which creates the AI chatbot, in 2023 - following a defeated move to replace its top executive the company leader.