U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced intense congressional scrutiny Tuesday as he vehemently denied maintaining any substantive relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite newly revealed evidence suggesting otherwise. The controversy emerged following January’s Justice Department release of millions of Epstein-related documents, including emails indicating Lutnick visited Epstein’s private island for lunch years after allegedly severing connections.
During a tense Senate committee hearing, Lutnick acknowledged only minimal contact with Epstein—approximately ten emails and three meetings over fourteen years. He characterized the island lunch as an incidental occurrence during a boating excursion with his family, insisting he merely ‘happened to be in the vicinity.’
‘I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person,’ Lutnick asserted under questioning from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.
The secretary now faces bipartisan calls for resignation amid apparent contradictions between the documented evidence and his previous statements. Lutnick had previously claimed he vowed never to ‘be in a room’ with Epstein following a 2005 incident where Epstein showed him a massage table and made sexually suggestive comments. However, the released emails reveal not only the 2012 island lunch but also a 2015 invitation from Lutnick to an Epstein associate for a Hillary Clinton fundraiser.
Lutnick becomes the latest high-profile figure embroiled in the expanding Epstein scandal, reflecting the financier’s penetration into elite political, business, and entertainment circles. The hearing occurred shortly after Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions during a deposition before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, drawing criticism from both Republican and Democratic members.