Former Harvard University president Larry Summers is taking leave from teaching at the college as it investigates his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the school and the former treasury secretary confirmed Wednesday night.

The big picture: Summers, who served in the Clinton administration, announced Monday that he would be "stepping back from public commitments" after the House Oversight Committee released a trove of Epstein files that included email correspondence between Summers and Epstein. • The late financier referred to himself as Summers' "wing man" in one of the emails, that date from 2013 to 2019, which was disclosed.

What they're saying: "Mr. Summers has decided it's in the best interest of the Center for him to go on leave from his role as Director as Harvard undertakes

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