Bard College president announces retirement, months after being named in Epstein files
News 12 has previously reported, Botstein acknowledged accepting donations, meeting with Epstein several times over a six-year period and traveling to the Virgin Islands, where Epstein was present.
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Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College announced on Friday that he will be retiring.
It comes months after he was named over 2,000 times in emails and documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
He says his last day will be June 30, after serving 51 years.
News 12 has previously reported, Botstein acknowledged accepting donations, meeting with Epstein several times over a six-year period and traveling to the Virgin Islands, where Epstein was present.
Bard College’s Board of Trustees hired an outside law firm WilmerHale to investigate communications between Botstein and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The investigation found that Botstein did nothing that was illegal in his relationship with Epstein. But when he was informed that Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008, he did not do further investigation.
Botstein says his interactions with Epstein were for the sole purpose of soliciting donations.
News 12 has reached out to Bard College.
In a statement it said that "Botstein has been a transformative leader with the vision and unwavering commitment that has shaped Bard into the world-class educational institution it is today."
