LA28 chair Wasserman says he has no plans to resign despite past ties to Maxwell

Casey Wasserman has stated on Thursday he plans to stay on as head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organising team despite calls for him to step down over his past ties to convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Files published by the US Justice Department in January included email exchanges from 2003 between Wasserman, who was married at the time, and Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein.

"No and yes," Wasserman said when asked whether he ever considered stepping down and whether he had spoken to LA Mayor Karen Bass, who was one of the more prominent names that called on him to resign his post in February. He said he was in regular contact with Bass.

When asked to elaborate, Wasserman said: "I talk to the mayor weekly, if not more frequently, and our conversations are between us. They continue to be thoughtful and productive with a completely shared vision on delivering the greatest games for the city and our community."

Wasserman's comments to reporters came during a press conference following three days of meetings between LA28 and the IOC Coordination Commission.

They were his first on the matter since he issued a statement in January that said he regretted his correspondence with Maxwell and that it took place "long before her horrific crimes came to light".

The files included flirty email exchanges from more than two decades ago between Wasserman and Maxwell.

Shortly after the files were published, organisers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics reviewed Wasserman's past interactions with Maxwell and determined that he should remain in his role.

The organisers said they took allegations of misconduct seriously and, with the assistance of outside counsel, found Wasserman's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what had been publicly documented.

LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover also told Reuters in February that he gave his full backing to Wasserman and that his support remained unwavering.

Wasserman has previously said he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein.