Brookline, Massachusetts - Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will stop teaching at Harvard University and step down from the OpenAI board, local media reported Wednesday, after Congress released emails linking him to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The emails, which showed he was in close communication with Epstein, prompted him to announce on Monday he would be "stepping back" from public life.

"In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI," Summers, who joined the artificial intelligence company's board in 2023, said in a statement to media, including CNN and the New York Times.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress," Summers added.

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Renewed public furor over Epstein has consumed US politics in recent weeks, spurring a showdown between lawmakers and President Donald Trump, a former friend of the late convicted sex offender.

Trump signed into law on Wednesday a bill requiring the disclosure of government documents on Epstein.

The Republican president had for months resisted the release of the files but stunned Washington this week after reversing course and ensuring that the legislation sailed through Congress.

Epstein, a wealthy financier, moved in elite circles for years, cultivating close ties with business tycoons, politicians, academics, and celebrities to whom he was accused of trafficking girls and young women for sex.

Epstein's 2019 arrest over a trafficking charge fueled a storm of outrage and pressure for a full accounting of his network and finances.

Trump said this month he would instruct the Justice Department to investigate Democratic political figures, including Summers, over their relationship with Epstein.

Summers has said he is "ashamed" of his communication with Epstein, but denies any wrongdoing.

Trump was a longtime associate of Epstein, but has denied any wrongdoing in connection to the disgraced businessman.