Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has publicly acknowledged visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012, directly contradicting his previous congressional testimony that he had severed ties with the convicted sex offender years earlier. During Tuesday’s Capitol Hill hearing, Lutnick confirmed under oath that he, along with his wife, four children, and nannies, spent approximately one hour having lunch on Epstein’s island during a family vacation.
The revelation emerged from recently unsealed Department of Justice documents containing correspondence about the December 23, 2012 visit—four years after Epstein’s conviction for child prostitution solicitation. This marked Lutnick’s first public admission of the encounter, though he maintained, ‘I don’t recall why we did it, but we did it.’
Lawmakers from both parties have intensified calls for Lutnick’s resignation following the disclosure. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen challenged the secretary about the discrepancies in his accounts, stating, ‘The issue is not that you engaged in any wrongdoing… but that you totally misrepresented the extent of your relationship with him to the Congress, to the American people, and to the survivors.’
Despite the controversy, the White House reiterated President Trump’s full support for Lutnick. The commerce secretary defended his limited association with Epstein, noting that among millions of released documents, only approximately ten emails connect him to the financier. He described their relationship as minimal, claiming only two additional meetings over a 14-year period following their alleged 2005 separation.
Meanwhile, Epstein abuse survivors gathered separately on Capitol Hill to advocate for Virginia’s Law, legislation seeking to eliminate statutes of limitations for sexual abuse civil claims. The bill honors Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein survivor who died by suicide in 2025, with her family emphasizing that ‘time cannot erase harm.’
The justice department’s document release, mandated by legislation co-sponsored by Representatives Ro Khanna (D) and Thomas Massie (R), continues to reveal new information. Both congressmen have identified additional improperly redacted names within the files, suggesting further disclosures may emerge.