US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has confirmed he visited Jeffrey Epstein's island in 2012, contradicting previous claims that he had cut ties with the sex offender years earlier, before he was convicted. I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation, Lutnick testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies … We had lunch on the island. That is true. For an hour. Correspondence about the visit was included in Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice. Some lawmakers have called on Lutnick to resign, but on Tuesday the White House said he had the full support of President Donald Trump.
The commerce secretary had previously told Congress that he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after the late financier - a neighbor of Lutnick's in New York - used sexual innuendo to explain why he owned a massage table in a room of his home. In Tuesday's testimony, he said: Over the next 14 years, I met him two other times that I can recall. The justice department files show Lutnick visited Epstein's Caribbean island on December 23, 2012, which was four years after Epstein was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a child. Lutnick's testimony marked the first time he publicly confirmed the visit. I don't recall why we did it, but we did it, he remarked.
Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. He noted that within the millions of pages of Epstein documents released by the justice department, roughly 10 emails connect him with Epstein. Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him; I barely had anything to do with that person, he stated. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, criticized Lutnick for what he described as misrepresentations regarding his relationship with Epstein.
Lutnick's visit has led various high-profile lawmakers, including Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, to demand his resignation. Both legislators emphasized the importance of further disclosure regarding Epstein's case, aiming to unearth information improperly blacked out from prior documents.
As Lutnick testified, survivors of Epstein's abuse gathered on Capitol Hill to advocate for 'Virginia's Law,' aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for civil claims against sexual abusers. The law is named after Virginia Giuffre, a prominent figure among Epstein's survivors who tragically died by suicide in 2025, with advocates pressing for change to address historical injustices against survivors.
The commerce secretary had previously told Congress that he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after the late financier - a neighbor of Lutnick's in New York - used sexual innuendo to explain why he owned a massage table in a room of his home. In Tuesday's testimony, he said: Over the next 14 years, I met him two other times that I can recall. The justice department files show Lutnick visited Epstein's Caribbean island on December 23, 2012, which was four years after Epstein was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a child. Lutnick's testimony marked the first time he publicly confirmed the visit. I don't recall why we did it, but we did it, he remarked.
Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. He noted that within the millions of pages of Epstein documents released by the justice department, roughly 10 emails connect him with Epstein. Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him; I barely had anything to do with that person, he stated. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, criticized Lutnick for what he described as misrepresentations regarding his relationship with Epstein.
Lutnick's visit has led various high-profile lawmakers, including Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, to demand his resignation. Both legislators emphasized the importance of further disclosure regarding Epstein's case, aiming to unearth information improperly blacked out from prior documents.
As Lutnick testified, survivors of Epstein's abuse gathered on Capitol Hill to advocate for 'Virginia's Law,' aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for civil claims against sexual abusers. The law is named after Virginia Giuffre, a prominent figure among Epstein's survivors who tragically died by suicide in 2025, with advocates pressing for change to address historical injustices against survivors.
