US soccer nice quits Wasserman over Epstein information hyperlinks… however embattled boss clings on to LA Olympics job

USWNT legend Abby Wambach has announced that she is leaving the Wasserman agency amid the controversy surrounding its founder Casey Wasserman and his alleged links to the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Wasserman, 51, has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, but documents released by the Justice Department revealed that in 2003, he exchanged flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell, who, years later, would be accused of helping the convicted pedophile recruit and sexually abuse his victims. 

Wasserman’s ties to Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s trafficking and abuse, were enough to force Wambach, who retired from soccer in 2015, to quit the agency.

‘I know what I know and I am following my gut and my values,’ Wambach said in a post on Instagram. ‘I will not participate in any business arrangement under (Wasserman’s) leadership.’

Wambach, who is not represented by Wasserman himself, and encouraged the CEO to step down from his eponymous firm to prevent a mass exodus of talent.

‘I also need to say this: I’m grateful to my agent, who I’ve known for almost 20 years and trust,’ she continued.

‘Casey should resign. He should leave, so more people like me don’t have to.’

Wambach won two Olympic gold medals and the World Cup with the United States during her glittering career on the field.

She was also named six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award and is the USWNT’s all-time leading scorer with 184 goals in 255 appearances. 

The Wasserman agency represents a number of high-profile female athletes, including soccer great Alex Morgan and WNBA stars like Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, and Britney Griner.

It also has a number of clients in the entertainment business, such as Chappell Roan, who also announced that she is leaving the agency earlier this week. 

‘I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well,’ the musician said on Instagram. ‘No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.’ 

However, despite the controversy, Wasserman has managed to cling onto his job as chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee. 

The LA28 board’s executive committee met Wednesday, and said that with help from an outside legal firm, it conducted a review of Wasserman’s past interactions with Epstein and Maxwell, with Wasserman’s full cooperation.

‘We found Mr. Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented,’ the board’s executive committee said in a statement.

‘The Executive Committee of the Board has determined that based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games.’

Last week, the IOC declined to put any additional public pressure on Wasserman to step aside.

Wasserman issued an apology after the emails were disclosed. He said he regretted his correspondence with Maxwell, ‘which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.’

Wasserman has said he flew on a humanitarian mission to Africa on Epstein’s private plane at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation in 2002. His then-wife Laura was with him.

‘This was his single interaction with Epstein,’ the executive committee said. ‘Shortly after, he traded the publicly-known emails with Maxwell.’

Among the exchanges included was Wasserman telling Maxwell, ‘I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?’

Some members of the Los Angeles city council and county board of supervisors have called for Wasserman to step down from his Olympics post.