Billionaire Thomas Pritzker steps down as Hyatt govt chairman over Epstein ties | EUROtoday

Billionaire Thomas Pritzker, 75, has stepped down as govt chairman of Hyatt Hotels over his ties to the late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Pritzker, cousin to Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, is the most recent notable determine to face penalties after the Department of Justice was compelled to launch thousands and thousands of paperwork referring to Epstein, who died in his New York City jail cell in 2019 whereas going through federal intercourse trafficking fees.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation introduced Pritzker’s retirement from his distinguished function on the Board of Directors on Monday. Pritzker had served as govt chairman since 2004.

Pritzker, who’s married to Margot Pritzker, stated in a press release, “My job and responsibility is to provide good stewardship,” which he stated means “protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret.

“I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner. I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims.”

Hyatt’s president and CEO, Mark Hoplamazian, will take over as chairman of the board efficient instantly.

The Epstein recordsdata revealed that Pritzker stored in touch with the disgraced financier lengthy after he pleaded responsible in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.

In an e mail trade from 2018, reported by a number of retailers, Epstein requested Pritzker to assist organize a visit to Asia for Karyna Shuliak, who was reportedly his girlfriend.

When Pritzker requested what she was going to do there, Shuliak responded, “Going to try to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey.” Pritzker stated, “May the Force be with you,” together with a smiley-face emoji.

In 2003, Pritzker had messaged Maxwell, who’s at the moment serving 20 years in jail for sexually exploiting and abusing women with Epstein, about a cocktail party.

Maxwell talked about that there can be 5 fashions serving on the social gathering, and Pritzker recommended having the visitors be servers and the fashions be visitors.

“This would be far more fun,” he wrote within the trade, per The Wall Street Journal.

The Independent has reached out to JB Pritzker’s workplace for remark about his cousin stepping down from the Hyatt board.

Other distinguished figures to face repercussions for his or her ties to Epstein are former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, prime Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler and expertise company founder Casey Wasserman.

Republican Representative from Kentucky, Thomas Massie, and Democratic Representative from California, Ro Khanna, who each led the push to launch the Epstein recordsdata, shared the information of Pritzker’s retirement from the Hyatt board on social media.

“Chairman of Hyatt Hotels stepping down as a result of Epstein disclosures,” Massie wrote on X.

“Tom Pritzker is part of the Epstein class & is stepping down as Chairman of Hyatt,” Khanna posted. “Will he also step down as Chairman of the Pritzker organization which manages various Pritzker family assets?”