MIT sets review of donations, apologises for Jeffrey Epstein ties

Massachusetts Institute of Expertise President Rafael Reif mentioned on Thursday that the elite college would assessment its course of for accepting donations after taking about $800,000 from foundations managed by financier Jeffrey Epstein, who dedicated suicide earlier this month whereas being held in jail whereas awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking fees.

In a letter to MIT associates, Reif mentioned all the cash acquired from foundations managed by Epstein had gone to the MIT Media Lab or Professor Seth Lloyd.

Each Lloyd, a mechanical engineering professor at MIT, and Media Lab director Joi Ito posted apologies on-line for having accepted donations from foundations managed by Epstein.

“Regardless of following the processes which have served MIT effectively for a few years, on this occasion we made a mistake of judgment,” Reif wrote. “I’ve requested Provost Marty Schmidt to convene a gaggle to look at the details across the Epstein donations and establish any classes for the long run.”

Ito, in an apology posted on the lab’s web site right here on Aug. 15, mentioned he would elevate an quantity equal to the donations the lab acquired from foundations managed by Epstein and “direct these funds to non-profits that concentrate on supporting survivors of trafficking.”

Lloyd, in an apology posted on Thursday on Medium medium.com/@sqlloyd/i-am-writing-to-apologize-to-jeffrey-epsteins-victims-eee805c4f13, mentioned he had acquired a grant from Epstein’s basis to assist his analysis and mentioned he had visited Epstein whereas he was serving a 13-month jail sentence in Florida.

Epstein was sentenced in Florida after pleading responsible in 2008 to state fees of solicitation of prostitution from a minor.

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“I believed, on the time, that I used to be doing an excellent deed. Mr. Epstein expressed regret for his actions and warranted me that he wouldn’t re-offend,” Lloyd mentioned in his apology, which he addressed to Epstein’s victims. Lloyd mentioned he has “dedicated monetary assets to assist you and different survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking and can work assiduously to assist make your voices heard.”

Epstein was being held in jail in New York whereas awaiting trial on federal fees of intercourse trafficking underage ladies. He had pleaded not responsible.

MIT’s assessment and the most recent apologies got here after two Media Lab researchers publicly resigned. One among them, Ethan Zuckerman, mentioned in a submit on Medium on Tuesday that he would give up as director of the MIT Heart for Civic Media as a result of he believed the lab’s dealings with Epstein compromised its values.

Although Epstein’s relationship with the lab predated Ito’s appointment, Ito in his submit acknowledged that the 2 visited one another and that he accepted Epstein as a monetary backer in his personal investments as effectively.

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