Former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Larry Summers said Monday he will step back from "public commitments" after messages between him and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released last week.

"I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein," Summers said in a statement. "While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, 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."

Dozens of messages between Summers and Epstein were included in a trove of documents from Epstein's estate that was released by the House Oversight Committee last week.

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