The Ohio State University announced Tuesday that it is reviewing millions of dollars in donations linked to billionaire sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was recently arrested and charged with sex trafficking.
“In 1990, Epstein donated $1,000 to the Wexner Center for the Arts Membership Fund. In partial fulfillment of a $5 million pledge made in 2005 to support the Woody Hayes Athletics Center, the CUOQ Foundation, which is reported to be Epstein’s private foundation, anonymously donated $2.5 million to the university in May 2007,” the school revealed in a press release.
According to the university, the other half of the $5 million pledge came from the Leslie H. Wexner Charitable Fund. At the time, Epstein served as a trustee for the Wexner Foundation, WOSU reports.
“The Leslie H. Wexner Charitable Fund made an additional $2.5 million gift in 2007. Together, those gifts were applied to the naming of the Les Wexner Football Complex,” the university said.
According to the Associated Press, Epstein was a long-time financial advisor for Wexner, who sent an email to employees this week denying any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
“When Mr. Epstein was my personal money manager, he was involved in many aspects of my financial life. But let me assure you that I was never aware of the illegal activity charged in the indictment,” Wexner said in his letter, which was obtained by WOSU.
“I would never have guessed that a person I employed more than a decade ago could have caused such pain to so many people,” Wexner said. “I would not have continued to work with any individual capable of such egregious, sickening behavior as has been reported about him. As you can imagine, this past week I have searched my soul … reflected … and regretted that my path ever crossed his.”
The university called Epstein’s crimes “reprehensible,” and said “his association with these gifts to the university is concerning.”
“Ohio State is conducting a complete review of the giving history to the university by Epstein and known associated entities and will take additional action as appropriate,” the statement concluded.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
