This article has been updated to include a public statement from Steve Tisch.
Steve Tisch (A’71), a Tufts alumnus and donor, is mentioned several times in a newly released batch of files related to the convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice released an additional three million pages earlier today as mandated in the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The Athletic reported earlier this afternoon that Epstein scouted several women for Tisch, according to emails sent in 2013. The two exchanged numerous emails, in which they discussed specific women and used shorthand terms to describe them. Tisch also invited Epstein to his suite for a New York Giants game in 2013, according to reporting.
Tisch, the owner of the New York Giants, graduated from Tufts in 1971 and has made several donations to buildings on campus, including the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center and Tisch Library, with his brother, Jonathan.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 in his jail cell after being indicted on sex trafficking charges. His links to President Donald Trump have been widely scrutinized by the public. The Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed by Congress in December, requiring Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all files pertaining to Epstein’s case.
The Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center was named after Tisch in 2012 following a $13 million donation. Tisch, a film producer, has also received the P. T. Barnum Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the university.
In a public statement released by the Giants Friday night, Tisch distanced himself from Epstein.
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments,” Tisch wrote. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life was named after Steve Tisch’s brother, Jonathan, following a $40 million donation in 2006. There are no direct email communications between Epstein and Jonathan Tisch in the files currently available on the DOJ’s website.
“We are aware of the media reports and are in the process of attempting to learn more,” Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, wrote in a statement.
This is a developing story as the Daily continues to review the available files.
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