Commerce Secretary Lutnick Admits Epstein Meetings After Denials

WASHINGTON — In a stunning reversal that has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration's Cabinet, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged during a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday that he met with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein twice after his 2008 conviction, directly contradicting his previous public statements.

The admission came during an intense subcommittee hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Democrats pressed Lutnick about his relationship with the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Congressional Testimony Reveals Contradictions

Lutnick, who had previously claimed he cut all ties with Epstein in 2005 — before the financier's initial conviction on prostitution charges in Florida — now admits to having had contact with Epstein in subsequent years.

"I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with him," Lutnick told lawmakers, while acknowledging a handful of emails and two meetings that were "years apart" from each other.

The Commerce Secretary described the contact as incidental encounters rather than meaningful business or personal relationships, though lawmakers expressed skepticism about the timeline and nature of these meetings.

The Timeline Question

The key discrepancy centers on when Lutnick claims to have severed ties with Epstein. His initial public statements suggested he had no contact with the financier after 2005, before Epstein's legal troubles became public knowledge.

Epstein's 2008 conviction in Florida on charges of soliciting prostitution from a child marked a low point in his social rehabilitation efforts. The fact that Lutnick continued to have any contact with Epstein after that conviction has raised significant questions among transparency advocates and congressional Democrats.

Epstein's powerful circle of business executives, politicians, and socialites became a subject of intense scrutiny following his 2019 death, with multiple government investigations examining who knew about his activities and when.

White House Defends Cabinet Member

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to elaborate on the specific meetings during Tuesday's press briefing, emphasizing that Lutnick continues to serve as Commerce Secretary and is focused on his duties at the department.

The administration has not indicated any plans to remove Lutnick from his position, despite the growing questions about his disclosures regarding Epstein.

Implications for Administration Transparency

The revelation adds to a growing list of cabinet members and senior officials whose connections to Epstein have come under scrutiny. Critics argue that the pattern of incomplete disclosures suggests a broader culture of opacity within the administration regarding these relationships.

Government watchdog groups have called for full documentation of all contacts between administration officials and Epstein or his associates, arguing that the American public deserves complete transparency about who is influencing policy decisions.

The Senate committee has not indicated whether it will pursue additional hearings or requests for documentation related to Lutnick's testimony.

What's Next

Watchdog organizations have already filed requests for records related to the Commerce Department's decisions that may have been influenced by Epstein's network. The full extent of Lutnick's relationship with the financier may not be known until additional documentation is produced or further congressional investigations are conducted.

For now, Lutnick continues to serve as Commerce Secretary, but the questions are unlikely to fade until more complete disclosures are made about the timing, nature, and purpose of his contacts with one of America's most notorious figures.