Emails Now Reveal Harvard Professors' Continued Ties with Epstein After His Indictment • Franknez.com

In a stunning exposé, Bloomberg News has unveiled over 18,000 emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s personal inbox, revealing how the convicted sex offender maintained close relationships with prominent Harvard University faculty members even after his 2006 indictment for soliciting prostitution.

These communications, spanning from casual dinners to discussions on cutting-edge research funding, highlight Epstein’s enduring influence within elite academic circles.

Despite his legal troubles, professors offered encouragement, planned gatherings, and explored potential donations, underscoring the financier’s deep-rooted connections at one of the world’s top universities.

Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, had donated at least $9.1 million to Harvard programs and research in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The emails, obtained and verified by Bloomberg through cryptographic analysis, metadata review, and corroboration with external sources, paint a picture of an “elite support network” that rallied around him during his “hour of terror.”

While some professors have since expressed regret or claimed ignorance of the full extent of his crimes, the correspondences raise questions about accountability in academia.

Key Harvard Figures in Epstein’s Correspondence

The emails detail interactions with several Harvard-affiliated scholars, including former and current professors.

Below is a structured overview of the main individuals involved, based on Bloomberg’s reporting:

Professor/Affiliate	Role at Harvard (Relevant Period)	Key Email Dates	Summary of Interactions	Funding/Research Discussions	Personal Support Offered
Stephen M. Kosslyn	Former Chair of Psychology Department (2005-2008); Social Science Dean (2008-2010)	January 2006, February 2006, August 2006, January 2008, May 2008, June 2008	Arranged dinners with scholars like Alan Dershowitz; discussed deanship decision; expressed desire to visit Epstein. Epstein noted “kosslyn is a priority.” In June 2008, Epstein replied to a visit request: “unfortunately jail starts monday.” Also forwarded media inquiries from Fortune.	Epstein donated $200,000 to Kosslyn’s research (1998-2002). Proposed a lab on “genetics and the brain” for “far-out ideas such as life extension.” Unclear if funded.	Birthday wishes in January 2008: “May the coming year be infinitely better than the previous one.” Kosslyn did not respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment.
Howard E. Gardner	Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education	Post-2006 (specific dates not detailed in emails, but referenced in context)	Sent book recommendations and advice on “offsprings.” After Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea, advised him to “take a deep breath” and “take one day at a time.”	Epstein funded some of Gardner’s research in the 1990s and early 2000s. Gardner stated he stopped accepting funds after the arrest but remained supportive as a “friend and beneficiary.”	Offered emotional support post-plea. Gardner told The Crimson: “Of course, no one I knew… had any idea of the nature and extent of Epstein’s crimes.”
Mark Tramo	Former Harvard Medical School Professor (left in 2009); Now at UCLA	October 2007	Emailed Epstein’s assistant after news of guilty plea, offering solidarity based on shared Bronx roots.	Introduced to Epstein in the late 1990s by Harvard Provost Harvey Fineberg for the Mind Brain & Behavior Initiative, where Epstein was a board member. No specific new funding mentioned.	“Please remind him that boys from The Bronx (even if they end up at Harvard) have long memories, know all about cops, and stay true to their friends through thick and thin (no less peccadilloes).” Tramo told The Crimson he was “duped” and had “no knowledge of his horrible crimes.” He did not respond to Bloomberg.
George M. Church	Geneticist; Leads Synthetic Biology at Harvard’s Wyss Institute	February 2006	Corresponded on “pleasure genome initiative” with Kosslyn and Ruvkun. Proposed topics like “re-engineering humans.”	Epstein planned $1 million+ for Harvard’s Personal Genome Project (run by Church) from 2006-2009, including budget for exploring if “beauty resides in DNA.” Church apologized in 2019 for post-conviction meetings, citing “nerd tunnel vision.” No comment for Bloomberg.	Indirect support via research collaboration; no direct personal encouragement detailed.
Gary B. Ruvkun	Genetics Professor at Harvard Medical School; 2024 Nobel Prize Winner	February 2006	Emailed Kosslyn about pushing the “pleasure genome initiative,” asking: “let me know if this subject is too strange for our patron.” Forwarded to Epstein, who replied: “the patron has no boundaries.”	Part of discussions on brain pleasure signals (hunger, sexuality, fear). Unclear if Epstein funded. Ruvkun did not respond to Bloomberg.	No direct personal support; focused on research advocacy.

Funding and Research Ambitions Amid Scandal

Epstein’s emails reveal ambitious plans to fund Harvard projects even as his legal woes mounted.

In early 2006, just weeks before his indictment, he outlined a $1 million budget for the Personal Genome Project led by George Church.

Discussions with Kosslyn, Church, and Ruvkun centered on innovative—and sometimes controversial—ideas like mapping “pleasure signatures in the brain” and “re-engineering humans.”

Ruvkun’s email highlighted Epstein’s boundary-pushing nature, noting the topic might be “too strange for our patron,” to which Epstein affirmed his openness.

These proposals built on Epstein’s earlier philanthropy, including $200,000 to Kosslyn’s work and support for Gardner’s research.

However, it’s unclear if post-indictment funding materialized for these specific initiatives.

Harvard has not commented on the emails, and a university spokesperson did not respond to requests from The Crimson or Bloomberg.

Personal Encouragement During Legal Battles

Beyond academics, the correspondences show professors providing moral support.

Kosslyn’s birthday wishes and visit attempts came amid Epstein’s 2008 incarceration.

Gardner’s post-plea advice emphasized resilience, while Tramo’s message invoked loyalty “through thick and thin.”

These interactions occurred despite Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to soliciting prostitution with a minor.

Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s lawyer and a Harvard Law School professor emeritus, appears in related emails vowing Epstein’s innocence: “As one of his close friends… Jeffrey never participated in sex with minors.”

In another, he pledged: “When the full story finally comes out, the world will learn what we already know—that Jeffrey is a good person who does many good things.”

Dershowitz did not respond to comment requests.

Additionally, a 2006 exchange with Mitchell D. Webber (then a research assistant for Dershowitz) addressed legal hypotheticals on transporting minors for sex, concluding no violation if within certain state laws.

Epstein then requested research on sex tourism laws.

Webber declined to comment.

Broader Context and Key Takeaways

Epstein’s Harvard ties were longstanding: His name appears in visitor logs, and signatures from professors like Martin A. Nowak and former dean Henry A. Rosovsky are in his 2003 “birthday book.”

Bloomberg’s cache, spanning 2006-2008, illustrates how Epstein leveraged these relationships for support during investigations.

Key takeaways include:

Ignorance Claims: Professors like Gardner and Tramo maintain they were unaware of Epstein’s full crimes at the time, viewing his 2006-2008 issues as minor.
Ethical Questions: The emails highlight potential conflicts in academic funding and personal alliances, prompting scrutiny of university oversight.
Verification Process: Bloomberg obtained the emails (over 18,000 from Epstein’s Yahoo account) and vetted them via cryptographic tools, metadata analysis, and cross-referencing with public records and sources.

Early reactions on social media platform X have begun surfacing.

One user shared a quote from the Webber email, linking it to broader Harvard connections: “Ackman. Dershowitz. Epstein. Harvard.”

Another post referenced emails about Epstein receiving profiles of young women, tying into his recruitment tactics.

Also Read: GOP Members Now Believe Trump Is Named First In The Epstein Files

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