A letter allegedly authored by MIT professor Noam Chomsky and published online last week reveals a close friendship between the left-wing activist and child sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein.
The letter was published online by the Massachusetts news outlet WBUR on Thursday. It comes as additional material to a number of emails that were among documents the US House Oversight Committee released last week, which reveal the close relationship between Chomsky and Epstein.
In the letter, which Chomsky allegedly penned, the professor refers to Epstein as “a highly valued friend” and writes that his relationship with the disgraced financier, which he writes began roughly six years before the letter’s writing, was “a most valuable experience.”
He describes Epstein arranging direct conversations with a Norwegian diplomat involved in the Oslo accords and helping coordinate a meeting with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak. The letter also mentions that Epstein and Chomsky’s wife, Valeria, attempted to interest Chomsky in jazz.
Additional emails show continued contact. In a message dated August 6, 2015, Epstein told Chomsky he was welcome to use his New York apartment or visit New Mexico again. The documents do not specify when Chomsky visited or for how long.
Epstein owned Zorro Ranch, south of Santa Fe, a location where he is accused of committing sex crimes involving minors. The property includes a 26,700-square-foot mansion, a private runway, and an aircraft hangar. New Mexico lawmakers recently requested $2.5 million to create a “truth commission” to investigate activities at the ranch.
The email release also shows communications between Epstein and Valeria Chomsky. In a January 22, 2017, message, she apologized for missing his birthday and wrote that she and Noam hoped to see him soon.
MIT said it conducted a review of its connections to Epstein in 2020. According to spokeswoman Kimberly Allen, the Institute made changes to its gift acceptance process and donated to nonprofits supporting survivors of sexual abuse. Allen did not comment on the emails involving Chomsky.
Ties between Epstein and other academics in Massachusetts
The documents also indicate ties between Epstein and other academics in Massachusetts. Former Harvard president Larry Summers announced he is stepping back from public commitments and taking a leave from teaching after the release showed details of his interactions with Epstein. Harvard said it will conduct its own review of community connections to Epstein.
Epstein’s earlier plea deal drew renewed scrutiny in 2018 following an investigation by the Miami Herald. He was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 and died later that year in a New York jail while awaiting trial.