Bard Opens Investigation Into Botstein Ties to Epstein

Bard College has opened an “independent review” into President Leon Botstein’s connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Board of Trustees announced Thursday.

While Botstein’s links to Epstein have been known for at least several years, newly released emails and documents from the Epstein files have raised “a number of fair and important questions“ about the two men’s interactions, the board wrote. The trustees have hired the law firm WilmerHale to conduct a review of “the full scope of these communications, financial contributions connected to Epstein, and any related matters relevant to understanding these issues fully.”

The new trove of messages shows Botstein engaging warmly and at length with Epstein over music, literature, travel and antique watches. In 2013, five years after Epstein’s first conviction, for procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute, Botstein wrote to him, “I greatly cherish this new friendship and I have real admiration for how you go about doing things.”

Earlier this month, Botstein explained in an email to faculty, staff and students that his interactions with Epstein “were always and only for the sole purpose of soliciting donations for the College. Mr. Epstein was not my friend; he was a prospective donor.” He also called Epstein “a truly evil man.”

In its message, the Bard board said it is committed to sharing the results of the review “and communicating how we will move forward as a community.” It added that WilmerHale will make recommendations to the board on Bard’s policies concerning “donor vetting, fundraising, codes of conduct, and conflicts of interest.”

The latest revelations from the Epstein files have already led to repercussions for a number of other faculty members and administrators.