Departure Follows Renewed Scrutiny
Former U.S. Senator and Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey has stepped down from the board of Nebraska-based clean energy company Monolith following renewed attention to his past meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Kerrey confirmed in a phone interview that he chose to resign to avoid harming the company’s prospects. “I don’t want to mess up this company’s capacity to be successful,” he said, explaining that the decision was voluntary.
The move comes as additional documents released by the U.S. Justice Department revealed that Kerrey arranged at least two meetings with Epstein in the summer of 2013, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution. Kerrey has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Details of the Meetings
The meetings reportedly included lunch and dinner engagements. At the time, Kerrey was serving as president emeritus of The New School in New York, where he had previously held the presidency from 2001 to 2010.
Kerrey acknowledged the encounters, stating he met Epstein in 2013 in connection with supporting a university. He characterized the decision as a lapse in judgment but rejected any suggestion that he performed favors for Epstein.
A spokesperson for The New School said the university reviewed information regarding Kerrey’s correspondence and found the interactions appeared limited and unrelated to university activities. The institution expressed regret over any association with Epstein, whose crimes it described as reprehensible.
Political Reaction and Company Response
The Nebraska Republican Party called on political candidates and organizations to return donations received from Kerrey. Party leadership described his documented meetings as a serious failure of judgment.
Kerrey responded by encouraging candidates from all parties to return donations to charity if they believed it appropriate. He also called for broader accountability, stating that public discussion should focus on the victims of Epstein’s crimes rather than on past meetings alone.
A spokesperson for Monolith confirmed Kerrey’s resignation, describing it as an internal governance matter. The company, which is developing processes that use renewable electricity to manufacture carbon black and ammonia, is currently raising capital and pursuing permits tied to industrial and data center projects.
Ongoing Professional Roles
Kerrey indicated he will no longer have any involvement with Monolith but will continue his work at Allen & Co., a New York-based investment bank.
The resignation places Kerrey among a number of business and political figures who have stepped back from roles amid continued scrutiny of past associations with Epstein.
