Former Bard College President Leon Botstein denies he sent an email to Jeffrey Epstein now at the center of federal scrutiny regarding his ties to the late sex offender.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel Wednesday, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin called for a criminal investigation into Botstein's relationship to Epstein.
According to the committee investigation, an email was sent from the address president@bard.edu to Epstein in 2014 asking if a young woman being trafficked by Epstein was "for me, or are you keeping her for yourself."
WAMC has reached out to both the Justice Department and FBI for comment.
In a statement Thursday, Botstein said, "The allegations in this letter are untrue, including an email that I did not author or send. Any assertion that I knew of or was involved in Epstein's criminal behavior is wrong."
Botstein has maintained his relationship with Epstein was solely about fundraising for the college.
Botstein resigned from all campus-affiliated positions Wednesday, according to a message to the campus community from college Board of Trustees Chair Brandon Weber.
WAMC has reached out to Bard College acting president Jonathan Becker for comment.
Raskin also wrote a letter to the Board of Trustees Wednesday informing them of the newly found evidence. The committee first reached out to the board in June to assist the House Judiciary Committee as it expanded its investigation into the school's ties to Epstein.
