Eight civic organizations in Romania have launched a public initiative asking Harvard University and Princeton University to open disciplinary investigations in relation to the appearance of academics with ties to Romania in the files associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a press release, the initiative aims to increase transparency regarding the possible links between the academic environment and the network built around Epstein, based on official documents and recent journalistic investigations, cited by edupedu.ro.
The approach also has a Romanian component. Civic Initiative Group “On the Street” asked the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași to withdraw the title of Doctor Honoris Causa granted in 2010 to Professor Martin Nowak, whom the organizations say had documented links with Epstein. The university announced that it is reviewing the request, but according to the initiators, it has not yet provided an official response.
On May 4, 2026, the eight organizations submitted a petition to Princeton University, requesting the initiation of a public disciplinary investigation and the placement of professor Corina Tarniță on administrative leave during the investigation. The document mentions that her name appears hundreds of times in documents of the US Department of Justice, but emphasizes that there is no evidence that she was involved in illegal activities. The request is motivated by “the need for institutional clarification and assessment”.
In parallel, a similar letter was addressed to Harvard University, where the organizations are demanding an independent investigation into the relationships of some professors with Epstein. The signatories criticize a previous internal report, considered “incomplete”, and requests the involvement of external experts, with the publication of the conclusions.
The cited documents also include references to financial transfers from 2009 and possible connections with the academic environment in Romania, which is why the organizations have asked the Romanian state institutions for clarification. Responses received so far indicate that there are no official ongoing investigations into the matter.
The initiators say that the action is part of a larger effort of institutional accountability and that it is based solely on “primary public sources”the goal being “transparency and accountability”.
Jeffrey Epstein was an American businessman convicted of sex crimes and later charged with child trafficking. He died in custody in 2019, and subsequently released documents have revealed an extensive network of contacts in political, academic and business circles globally.
