Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Faces Resignation Calls After Admitting to 2012 Epstein Island Visit

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Faces Resignation Calls After Confirming 2012 Visit to Epstein Island

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing a firestorm of criticism and bipartisan calls for his resignation after admitting to a 2012 visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island—a revelation that directly contradicts his previous testimony regarding his relationship with the convicted sex offender.

Source : Internet

Testifying before Congress on Tuesday, Lutnick confirmed that he, his wife, four children, and their nannies joined Epstein for lunch on Little St. James. The visit occurred four years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Contradictory Testimony Sparks Outrage

The admission marks a sharp pivot from Lutnick’s earlier claims. The Commerce Secretary previously told Congress he had severed all ties with Epstein in 2005.

"I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation," Lutnick told lawmakers. "I don't recall why we did it, but we did it... For an hour."

While Lutnick emphasized that he has not been accused of any personal wrongdoing, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) grilled the Secretary on the "misrepresentation" of his history.

"The issue is not that you engaged in any wrongdoing... but that you totally misrepresented the extent of your relationship with him to the Congress, to the American people, and to the survivors," Van Hollen stated during the hearing.

More News 

Bipartisan Pressure to Step Down

The fallout has united unlikely allies on Capitol Hill. Both Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) have urged Lutnick to step down. The two congressmen were primary sponsors of the legislation that compelled the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release over 3.5 million documents related to the Epstein investigation.

Despite the mounting pressure, the White House issued a statement Tuesday afternoon confirming that Lutnick retains the "full support" of President Donald Trump. Lutnick is currently a key figure in the administration, acting as the primary architect for the President’s global tariff policies.

More Names Emerge from DOJ Files

As the DOJ continues to release unredacted documents, other high-profile figures are coming under scrutiny. Representative Khanna revealed six names that he alleges were improperly redacted in initial filings, including:

• Les Wexner: The billionaire former CEO of Victoria’s Secret. Wexner was identified in a 2019 FBI document as a "potential co-conspirator," though his legal team maintains he was merely a "source of information" who cooperated fully.

• Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem: CEO of Dubai Ports World.

The DOJ defended the initial redactions but has begun unmasking names—including Wexner's—noting they already appeared thousands of times elsewhere in the files.

A Legacy of Reform: "Virginia’s Law"

The testimony coincided with a gathering of Epstein survivors on Capitol Hill to advocate for Virginia’s Law. Named after the late Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in 2025, the legislation seeks to eliminate the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse to file civil claims.

"Her wish was to eliminate the statute of limitations," said Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s sister-in-law, emphasizing that the fight for accountability extends far beyond political appointments.

Source: Internet