The chair of Paul, Weiss resigned Wednesday after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released email exchanges between him and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein last week.

The DOJ’s release of documents related to Epstein show him and Brad Karp exchanging emails leading up to 2019, the year Epstein died.

“Leading Paul, Weiss for the past 18 years has been the honor of my professional life,” Karp said in a statement released Wednesday night. “Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.”

Karp had served as chair at Paul, Weiss since 2008, having spent a total of 40 years working at the firm. Though he stepped down, Karp “will continue to focus his full-time attention to client service at the firm,” the statement reads.

Scott Barshay, the former chair of the Paul, Weiss corporate department, was appointed as Karp’s successor.

“I step into this role with great confidence in Paul, Weiss’ continued success,” Barshay said in the firm’s statement. “Our strength lies in the talent and dedication of our people and trusted client relationships. Clients come to Paul, Weiss because we deliver excellence, and our firm is unified in our commitment to continuing to provide the highest standards of client service.”

Barshay praised Karp for his “immense contributions” to the firm, saying Karp “transformed Paul, Weiss in an unprecedented way to the great benefit of our clients.”

Emails between Karp and Epstein varied, with one sent to the financier in July 2015 thanking him for being “an extraordinary host.”

“Jeffrey, I can’t thank you enough for including me in an evening I’ll never forget,” Karp wrote. “It was truly ‘once in a lifetime’ in every way, though I hope to be invited again.”

The DOJ also released an email from Karp asking Epstein if he could find a role for his son in an upcoming film directed by Woody Allen in 2016. Karp told Epstein that his son “doesn’t need to be paid and he’s a really good, talented kid.”

“I will ask, of course,” Epstein replied. “Can you tell me what role he would like to fill, I know little about the movies.”

Last year, four top Paul, Weiss lawyers left the firm to form their own practice after Karp reached a deal with President Trump to lift an executive order that would have stripped the law firm of its security clearances.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week that the DOJ’s review of its files related to Epstein was “over.” Blanche received pushback from some lawmakers after he said that it “isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein” and that the DOJ will not investigate anyone associated with Epstein.

Trump, who once had a relationship with Epstein but has denied any wrongdoing in connection with his crimes, said the recent and final release of the files “absolve” him.

“I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it’s the opposite of what people were hoping. You know, the radical left,” Trump told reporters Saturday.

Source: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5724121-karp-resigns-paul-weiss-jeffrey-epstein/