On Tuesday, Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen from Maryland and Chris Coons from Delaware questioned Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding his past connections with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Recent files released by the Department of Justice indicate that Lutnick was still in contact with Epstein as recently as 2018, years after Epstein’s conviction. During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Lutnick was asked by Van Hollen why he had arranged a meeting with Epstein on his private island in 2012. Lutnick claimed that they had only met a few times and that he had minimal involvement, even though they lived near each other in New York City.
Van Hollen pressed him, saying, “Why did Epstein’s file show you arranging meetings and planning visits with Jeffrey Epstein?” Lutnick responded, expressing his willingness to clarify his connections with Epstein. He noted that they became neighbors and that he had met Epstein probably just a few times over the years. Interestingly, Lutnick mentioned that four years after initially meeting Epstein, they encountered each other twice more, but he seemed unsure about specific details.
In a previous interview with the New York Post, Lutnick mentioned that he decided never to share a room with Epstein after he saw a massage table in one of Epstein’s rooms. He claimed that Epstein had made unsettling remarks about receiving “the right kind of massage” daily.
During the hearing, Lutnick revealed that he had, in fact, had lunch with Epstein on a boat while on a family vacation in 2012, with his wife, children, and nanny present. “We stayed for about an hour before all the kids, nanny, and my wife left,” Lutnick stated, emphasizing that it was a family trip and they were close the entire time.
Van Hollen again brought up the situation, suggesting that Lutnick’s actions could imply involvement in wrongdoing with Epstein. The senator expressed concern about Lutnick potentially misleading Congress and the public regarding their past interactions. Van Hollen believed Lutnick had not cut ties with Epstein as he had previously claimed.
Additional documents hinted at a planned meeting for drinks at Epstein’s home back in 2011. Lutnick stated he never went through with it, although it was suggested. There were also indications that Epstein had an interest in meeting Lutnick’s nanny, a meeting that Lutnick said he was unaware of. The files showed that both Lutnick and Epstein had signed documents related to a venture together.
As the hearing progressed, Coons demanded detailed information about Lutnick’s relationship with Epstein. Lutnick maintained his stance that he had only met Epstein three times over the span of 14 years and reiterated that he had done nothing wrong.
“I met him when he moved next door, and then once every several years after that,” Lutnick argued. He asserted that, under no circumstances, had he engaged in any improper behavior with Epstein.
Calls for Lutnick’s resignation have been coming from both sides of the aisle, especially following these revelations. Republican Representative Thomas Massey of Kentucky has been particularly vocal, arguing that Lutnick maintained “obvious business relationships” with Epstein and should resign immediately.
