Secretary Howard Lutnick, the Trump administration's Commerce Secretary, has admitted to having lunch on Jeffrey Epstein's private island in 2012, prompting questions from lawmakers about his earlier claims of severing ties with the convicted sex offender. Lutnick told the Senate Appropriations Committee that he was accompanied by his wife, four children, nannies, and another family during the visit.
'I did have lunch with him, as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation,' Lutnick said during testimony. 'My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies. We had another couple with their children as well. And we had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour.'
Lutnick previously maintained that he had cut off all contact with Epstein after 2005, several years before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Documents recently released by theDepartment of Justice, however, show that Lutnick and Epstein remained in communication years later, including an invitation to the 2012 lunch on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands, as reported byCNBC. Records also indicate the two men engaged in business dealings as late as 2014.
The admission has sparked bipartisan calls for transparency, with several lawmakers demanding that Lutnick provide all records relating to his interactions with Epstein. Republican Representative Thomas Massie and other politicians have questioned whether Lutnick's prior statements toCongressmisrepresented the extent of his connection to Epstein.
In his testimony, Lutnick outlined the limited number of meetings he had with Epstein over a 14-year period. The first encounter occurred when they lived next door to one another in New York. Lutnick said he met Epstein two more times over the following years, with the 2012 lunch on the private island being the most significant social interaction. He stated that in total, the correspondence between him and Epstein may have amounted to roughly ten emails.
'I did not have any relationship with him,' Lutnick testified. 'Probably the total—over a 14-year period—may be ten emails connecting me with him. I have nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing.'
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Marylandtold the committeethat Lutnick's previous statements suggested he had cut off all contact with Epstein, and that the newly revealed information raised concerns about whether Congress and the public had been misled.
TheWhite House, through press secretary Karoline Leavitt, reiterated its support for Lutnick, stating that PresidentDonald Trumpcontinues to stand behind his Commerce Secretary despite the controversy.
Public scrutiny has centred on both the ethical implications of Lutnick's visit and the extended business and social contacts with Epstein revealed in recently released documents.
Source: International Business Times UK
