A federal watchdog group is going to court to learn more about why a former U.S. Treasury Secretary\u2019s portrait was covered up after the release of a trove of disturbing email correspondence between him and deceased convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced it \u201cfiled a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Treasury for records regarding the covering of former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers\u2019 official portrait in the Main Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., reportedly after his name surfaced in records connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Treasury (No.1:26-cv-00446)).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCovering Larry Summers\u2019 portrait won\u2019t make the Epstein scandal disappear,\u201d said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. \u201cCovering the portrait raises obvious questions. Transparency\u2014not cover-ups\u2014is the proper response.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAn exchange of emails between Summers and Epstein contained in a trove of Epstein records released by the House Oversight Committee, Epstein called himself Summers\u2019 \u2018wing man,\u2019\u201d Judicial Watch notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judicial Watch reports it \u201cfiled the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Treasury Department failed to respond to a January 8, 2026, FOIA request for:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All records, including communications, about the covering up of former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers\u2019 portrait in the U.S. Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. Mr. Summers served as Treasury Secretary from July 2, 1999, to January 20, 2001.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJudicial Watch submitted the FOIA request after a source inside Treasury informed a Judicial Watch lawyer about the portrait-covering incident,\u201d the group notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Summers\u2019 portrait was covered up after he announced his resignation from public life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn November 2025, soon after his name arose in connection with Epstein, Summers said, \u2018I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused.\u2026 I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of\u00a0Great America News Desk.<\/em>
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