L.A. Mayor Karen Bass intensified pressure on Casey Wasserman to resign as head of the 2028 Olympics organizing committee due to his ties to Ghislaine Maxwell. Bass told CNN Monday that "my opinion is that he should step down" despite Wasserman receiving backing from the LA28 board last week following a legal review of his contacts with Epstein and Maxwell.

The controversy stems from flirtatious emails Wasserman exchanged with Maxwell in 2003, released in US government documents days before the Milan Cortina Winter Games began. Wasserman apologized, stating the correspondence occurred "long before her horrific crimes came to light," while the IOC continues to deflect questions, calling it a matter for the LA28 board to resolve.

Fallout has already cost Wasserman his agency clients, including pop star Chappell Roan and soccer star Abby Wambach, with the Olympic organizer now selling the business. Wasserman has driven L.A.'s Olympic bid since 2015 and faces mounting scrutiny despite no wrongdoing allegations. The leadership controversy threatens to overshadow preparations for the city's hosting duties in July and August 2028.