Columbia Demotes Official for Helping Epstein’s Girlfriend Enter Program

Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine announced a demotion for Dr. James Fine, a senior administrator overseeing postdoctoral programs, after an investigation into his role in Karyna Shuliak’s admission to a 2023 residency program. Shuliak, Jeffrey Epstein’s last girlfriend, required the residency to obtain her New York dental license. The university stated Shuliak met all qualifications for the program but raised concerns about Fine’s involvement due to his administrative position. Fine previously connected Shuliak to Epstein’s dentist, Dr. Thomas Magnani, who had helped secure her admission to Columbia’s dental school in 2012—a process later deemed irregular. Epstein files revealed Fine met Shuliak in 2012 and allegedly shared details about her upcoming admissions exam with Magnani, who texted Epstein that Fine would ‘know tomorrow what they will test her on.’ Two other Columbia dentists, Magnani and former Vice Dean Dr. Letty Moss-Salentijn, were disciplined in February for their roles in Shuliak’s 2012 admission. Fine avoided punishment then but faced scrutiny over his 2023 involvement, including whether he leveraged his authority to assist Shuliak. Columbia’s statement emphasized that no improper admission occurred but highlighted ‘separate concerns’ about Fine’s conduct. The case adds to broader fallout from Epstein-related documents, which have exposed misconduct across academia, business, and politics. Fine, Magnani, and Moss-Salentijn did not respond to requests for comment. Columbia’s internal probe focused solely on Fine’s actions during Shuliak’s residency application, marking the latest chapter in the university’s response to Epstein-linked controversies.