WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended himself Tuesday against scrutiny over past contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as newly disclosed records revealed a visit to Epstein’s private island in December 2012, prompting renewed calls for his resignation.
“I barely saw this person over a fourteen-year period,” Lutnick stated during a Senate hearing, referring to a period beginning in 2005 when he became a neighbor of Epstein in New York. The Commerce Secretary acknowledged having lunch with Epstein on the island while vacationing with his family. “I had lunch with him [on the island] while I was on vacation with my family on a boat. My wife was with me, as were my four children and their nannies,” he said, asserting the visit lasted approximately one hour.
Lutnick also confirmed a separate lunch meeting with Epstein in New York in 2011. “Like everyone, I searched my name in the millions of documents that were released and saw a document referencing a meeting in May [2011], I believe, for just over an hour,” he explained, adding that his name appeared in “no more than a dozen” emails.
The White House offered its support for Lutnick on Tuesday, with a spokesperson stating that “the entire government, including Secretary Lutnick, is focused on serving the interests of the American people.” Karoline Leavitt further affirmed that Lutnick “remains a very important member of President Trump’s team” and that the President “fully supports the Secretary.”
Calls for Lutnick’s resignation have intensified since the Justice Department released a trove of documents detailing his visit to Epstein’s island. Several lawmakers accuse Lutnick of misrepresenting the extent of his past relationship with Epstein, particularly regarding previous assertions that he had severed ties with the financier more than twenty years ago.
“Mr. Lutnick should not be in charge of our Department of Commerce, he must resign immediately,” said Senator Adam Schiff on Monday. Republican Representative Thomas Massie echoed the sentiment on Sunday, stating that Lutnick “should do the President a favor and simply resign.”
Lutnick, a close associate of Donald Trump, previously led the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald before joining the administration last year following Trump’s return to the Oval Office. The scrutiny comes as more documents related to Epstein’s crimes continue to be released and examined.
