Newly Released Emails Suggest Noam Chomsky Had Deeper Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Newly released emails made public on November 12 by Republican members of the US House oversight committee indicate that Noam Chomsky described maintaining "regular contact" with Jeffrey Epstein as a "most valuable experience," a characterization that suggests their relationship may have been closer than Chomsky had previously portrayed.

What the records show

The correspondence includes an undated letter attributed to Chomsky that praises Epstein's knowledge, connections and intellectual influence. The letter — which bears a typed signature and cites Chomsky's title as a University of Arizona laureate professor (a post he assumed in 2017) — recounts conversations about global finance, a phone call to a Norwegian diplomat involved with the Oslo accords, and an introduction to former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak.

"I met Jeffrey Epstein half a dozen years ago. We have been in regular contact since, with many long and often in-depth discussions about a very wide range of topics... It has been a most valuable experience for me."

The released files also include an email from 2015 in which Epstein offers Chomsky the use of his residences in New York and New Mexico. The records do not make clear whether Chomsky accepted that offer.

Money and institutional responses

The disclosures say Chomsky acknowledged receiving about $270,000 from an account linked to Epstein during the distribution of funds tied to the settlement of a marriage. Chomsky and his representatives have maintained that "not one penny" came directly from Epstein.

Institutions named in the release issued brief responses. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said it reviewed its past contacts with Epstein in 2020 and implemented changes to gift-acceptance procedures and made donations to organizations supporting survivors of sexual abuse. The University of Arizona did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Chomsky and his spokesperson did not reply to requests for comment related to the newly released emails.

Context and aftermath

Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to state charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor, serving 13 months of an 18-month sentence and being released in July 2009. In 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, officials concluded Epstein died by suicide in jail.

The release has renewed public scrutiny of Epstein's relationships with prominent figures. The files were disclosed amid renewed political pressure for transparency: political leaders, including the president, had previously discussed releasing more of the so-called Epstein files, and legislation directing additional disclosures was recently signed into law.

The disclosures have affected other prominent academics as well; for example, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers stepped back from a teaching role after his email exchanges with Epstein drew fresh attention.

Small personal details in the released emails add color to the correspondence: one message from January 2017 shows Chomsky's wife, Valeria Wasserman Chomsky, emailing Epstein to apologize for missing his birthday and noting that she and Noam hoped to see him soon for a toast.

The newly released material does not by itself establish criminal wrongdoing by Chomsky. It does, however, provide new detail about the scope and tone of his interactions with Epstein and has prompted renewed questions from journalists, scholars and institutions about past associations.

Anna Betts contributed reporting.