LA City Council Will Reconsider Wasserman’s Olympics Position

Photo Credit: Digital Music News

LA City Council approved a resolution in a 12-0 vote to reconsider Casey Wasserman’s position as chairman of the LA28 Olympic Organizing Committee.

On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution in a 12-0 vote to reconsider a resolution to oust Casey Wasserman as LA28 Olympic Organizing Committee chair. The resolution returned to the council after a decision was delayed last week, and essentially stops just short of calling for Wasserman to step down from the position.

“Be it further resolved, that the City Council expresses concern regarding the potential conflict between the Olympic movement’s values and Casey Wasserman’s association with the Epstein files, and calls for a thorough and transparent review of his involvement in the ongoing investigation into these matters,” the resolution reads.

Further, the resolution will “urge the LA28 Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee to ensure that all leadership roles are held by individuals who consistently reflect the Olympic movement’s commitment to integrity, accountability, and respect for all people.”

Wasserman has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks since his name was revealed to be among the tranche of emails and documents released as part of the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Wasserman’s involvement was seemingly limited and mostly involved lewd text exchanges with Epstein madam and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Nevertheless, he stepped down from the talent agency that bears his name, which recently rebranded as “The Team.”

“This vote is just the latest example of Angelenos speaking out, loud and clear, against sexual violence and rape culture,” said Elisa Batista, Campaign Director at UltraViolet Action, a leading national women-led gender-justice organization. “We do not want someone affiliated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell representing the City of Los Angeles, let alone the entire country, on one of the world’s largest stages.”

“The leadership of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics should be free from any association with individuals connected to a child sexual abuse and trafficking operation—both morally and practically, given how critical these games are to Los Angeles and the entire country,” said Batista.

“Holding a position like Olympic Chairman is a privilege, not a right, and Wasserman does not deserve that right,” Batista continued. “Any excuses for keeping Casey Wasserman on the board are empty and a slap in the face to survivors everywhere.”

The 51-year-old Wasserman has publicly apologized for his correspondence with Maxwell and emphasized that it happened years before Maxwell’s and Epstein’s crimes were revealed. He also denied having a personal or business relationship with Epstein.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for the resignation of Wasserman from the LA28 Olympic Committee. The committee itself previously said it conducted a third-party investigation into Wasserman’s conduct and decided not to remove him from the position as a result. However, that could definitely change now that the city council has voted to continue mounting pressure.