Kamen resigns from FIRST Robotics board of directors

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

New Hampshire inventor Dean Kamen has voluntarily resigned from the board of directors of FIRST Robotics.

He will also withdraw from all company activities effective immediately. He said he made the decision to resign to avoid distractions for the company.

Last month, FIRST announced that Kamen was taking a leave of absence after he was named several times in files from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

One April 2013 email included in the documents detailed a plan for Kamen to spend a night on the billionaire's private island. Several released emails also showed that Epstein tried to connect women he knew with jobs working for Kamen. In a 2014 email exchange, Epstein asked Kamen to help a woman with an internship.

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Kamen is not accused of any wrongdoing, and an independent review by the FIRST board found no evidence of misconduct.

Another nonprofit, the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, where Kamen serves as executive director and board chairman, said its investigation by outside legal counsel also found no evidence of wrongdoing.

"Based on the independent investigation’s conclusion, Dean Kamen will resume his full participation on the ARMI Board of Directors and will continue to play a vital role in ARMI’s mission to advance the U.S. bioeconomy and transform the future of human health," the ARMI board said in a statement to News 9.

Kamen has acknowledged errors in judgment by not avoiding Epstein and his associates after Epstein's conviction in 2008 of soliciting a minor.

Kamen said that after meeting with Epstein, he found that Epstein's only interest was self-promotion, and he avoided future meetings.