Former MIT media lab staffer says leadership made it clear Epstein’s donations were to be kept secret

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Signe Swenson, a former development associate and alumni coordinator at the MIT media lab, told CNN on Saturday that she repeatedly expressed concern about MIT’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, but the lab’s leadership made it clear that his donations were to be kept secret.

Swenson — who first spoke to the New Yorker – says she first learned of Epstein’s ties to MIT when she had a business breakfast with Peter Cohen, the lab’s Director of Development and Strategy at the time, in early 2014

Swenson said Cohen told her that the media lab’s director, Joi Ito, had a relationship with Epstein, that Epstein would be donating money to the lab, and that part of her job would involve assisting with those donations. Swenson said she told Cohen at the time that she knew Epstein was a “disqualified prospect” as a donor to MIT because of his state prostitution charges in Florida, but that Cohen did not seem to be surprised by the information [that Epstein was convicted on state prostitution charges].

Swenson said she ultimately took the job with the lab because it was a “dream job” for her. “I wanted to get closer to the amazing things coming out of the media lab and generally, MIT,” Swenson said.

Once she was working with the lab, Swenson recalls that the lab’s leadership made it clear that Epstein’s donations were to be kept under wraps

Swenson said Cohen asked her how to take money from Epstein anonymously without having to report it to the university. Swenson said she told him there were ways to accept anonymous donations, but there was no way to do it without anyone at the university being made aware. Swenson said Ito popped into a meeting she was having with Cohen to remind them that it was a possibility to take small donations anonymously. – READ MORE

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