Paleontologist Jack Horner, who served as a consultant on the "Jurassic Park" film franchise, has left Chapman University after his name surfaced in documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"Jack Horner is no longer with the university," a Chapman University spokesperson told The Hill. The California-based school declined to say whether Horner resigned or was dismissed.
Emails in the recently released files show Horner communicated with Epstein in 2012 and visited the multimillionaire’s ranch in New Mexico while seeking financial support.
"In retrospect, I regret that I did not investigate Epstein's background beyond what was commonly known at the time, something that I had never done with other potential donors," Horner said in a statement to the BBC. "That is a lesson learned!"
"When the full extent of Epstein's crimes became public in 2019, I reflected back upon my limited interactions with him," he added. "Nothing I observed or experienced during my short stay at the ranch indicated or suggested the conduct that came to light."
Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
After visiting the ranch, Horner wrote in an email, "Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts ... Please give my best to Jeffrey and the girls."
Horner later said the four women referenced in the email were "introduced to me as college students," according to the BBC.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Horner served as the inspiration for the character Alan Grant in Michael Crichton's 1990 novel "Jurassic Park," and later worked as a consultant on all of the franchise's seven films.
Horner is the latest academic figure whose name has appeared in the Epstein files, as universities across the country continue examining potential ties between faculty members and the disgraced financier.
Facing criticism over his connections to Epstein, former Harvard president Larry Summers, who also served as U.S. Treasury secretary, resigned last week from his remaining posts at the university.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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