University of Maine removes George Mitchell name over Epstein ties

The University of Maine System’s Board of Trustees voted 9-5 to remove former Senator George Mitchell’s name from a university building and a scholarship fund. The decision follows the release of Department of Justice files regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in which Mitchell is mentioned more than 300 times.

The university will rename the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the Orono campus, as well as the George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship, which supports postgraduate studies in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

A university task force concluded that while no findings of wrongdoing by Mitchell were made, his continued contact with Epstein as recently as 2013—years after Epstein’s plea agreement—could “compromise the public trust and reflect adversely upon the university and its reputation.”

Mitchell, 93, served in the U.S. Senate from 1980 to 1995 and was a key figure in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement. He has repeatedly denied any personal misconduct or knowledge of Epstein’s sexual abuse of minors.