Botstein's Epstein Ties: Retirement & Legacy

0:00It's May 2. You're listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news. Leon Botstein, the president of bar college for 50 years, just announced he's retiring at the end of June. This comes months after details emerged about his closer than expected ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Botstein, now 79, shared the news in an email, saying he waited until an independent review wrapped up on those connections. The review looked into their meetings, like Epstein flying in by helicopter and Botstein inviting him to the 2013 graduation. There were emails too, including one after a big Miami Herald story, where Botstein called Epstein a friend, and hoped he was holding up. Epstein also gave $150,000 to Botstein in 2016, which went to the college for fundraising. No one accused Botstein of wrongdoing in Epstein's crimes, but folks reacted strongly to the revelations. The board praised his decades of service while calling the concern serious. They planned to redirect any Epstein link funds to groups helping survivors of sexual

1:04harm. The independent probe by law firm Wilmerhael found Botstein didn't break laws, but he downplayed the relationship and wasn't fully accurate in his statements. He saw Epstein as just an ordinary sex offender who deserved a shot of redemption, all to secure funds for barred. Botstein even said he'd take money from anyone if it helped the school's mission. Botstein will stick around as a teacher and musician on faculty, leaving a huge legacy at this New York liberal art spot, despite the controversy.