© EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL The White House, however, is ignoring Lutnik's ties to Epstein.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged visiting the island owned by the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein with his family towards the end of 2012, answering questions from senators during a hearing, the FT reported .
Lutnik has faced escalating pressure concerning his association with Epstein after records disclosed by the US Department of Justice indicated more profound interaction with the financier than previously understood.
The prior year, Lutnick stated he had only encountered Epstein in 2005, a meeting he described as repulsive, leading him to avoid any further contact. However, emails recently unveiled by the U.S. Justice Department demonstrated that the commerce secretary organized a meal on Epstein’s island years afterward — an event Lutnick was compelled to concede.
“I indeed had lunch with him while on a boat during a family holiday. My wife, four children, and caregivers were present. Another couple with their children joined us. We lunched on the island. That’s factual. For about an hour. My kids were all with me,” Lutnick communicated to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Epstein utilized the island as a hub for alleged underage girl trafficking. He served 13 months in a Florida correctional facility in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution and was apprehended again in July 2019, accused of trafficking minors for sexual exploitation.
Lutnik's confirmation of his island visit surfaced amid intensifying examination of Epstein's relationships with political figures, including US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, British diplomat Peter Mandelson, and business magnates such as ex-Barclays CEO Jess Staley, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, businessman Elon Musk, and Goldman Sachs attorney Katie Ruemmler.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated on Tuesday, February 10, that Trump “completely endorses” Lutnik, referring to the minister as a “very crucial” participant in the president's administration.
Previously, the White House had dismissed demands for the Commerce Secretary’s departure due to his connections with Epstein. Trump labeled the controversy a “hoax.”
During a congressional session on Tuesday, Lutnick encountered strong rebuke from certain legislators, heightening strain on the commerce secretary, with one Republican, Thomas Massie, and several Democrats calling for his resignation.
“The issue isn’t your involvement in any misdeeds related to Jeffrey Epstein, but your complete misrepresentation of your association with him. Mr. Secretary, this casts doubt on your appropriateness for your current role, as well as your trustworthiness with this committee and Congress,” stated Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“Please disclose everything. Bring this matter to a close, as this issue is deeply concerning to my constituents,” stated Democratic Senator Chris Coons.
Lutnick responded that he met Epstein when they became neighbors in New York, and “twice subsequently over 14 years.”
“I possessed nothing resembling a connection, nothing that could be termed an acquaintance. I reviewed the documents without any trepidation because my wife and I are confident that I engaged in absolutely no wrongdoing in any manner,” Lutnick stated.
Nevertheless, the released documents revealed further business links between Lutnick and the deceased Epstein. A 2012 stock acquisition agreement indicated that Lutnick and Epstein co-signed a document to procure interest in Adfin, an advertising tech firm, as distinct entities. Lutnick also forwarded Epstein an email in May 2018 regarding a construction undertaking in their vicinity.
White House ignores Lutnik's ties to Epstein
Lutnick has numerous adversaries within and around the Trump administration, Politico reports, but even the Commerce Secretary's staunchest opponents are responding to fresh revelations regarding the scope of his connections to a convicted sex offender with collective indifference.
They imply that exploiting Lutnik’s association with Epstein to discredit the secretary would be unproductive, given that Trump has publicly discounted the controversy enveloping the Epstein files, which he has long characterized as a “witch hunt.” The US president, who asserts he severed communication with Epstein decades prior, is referenced extensively in the files.
“He (Lutnik — ed.) is disliked by almost everyone. However, I doubt Trump will readily dismiss him. The president is unwilling to overemphasize the Epstein situation,” one of the sources in close proximity to the White House informed the publication.
This presents another instance of the limited significance ascribed to the Epstein connection by senior personnel in the Trump administration, in contrast to functionaries in foreign governments.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is endeavoring to retain his position following disclosures about former U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson’s entanglement with Epstein, Norway is incensed by the evident cordial rapport between Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Epstein, and the World Economic Forum is scrutinizing its president, Borge Brende. However, within the U.S. government, the ramifications for officials affiliated with Epstein are insignificant.
Another individual acquainted with the Trump administration's perspective minimized the specifics concerning Lutnik that had surfaced, portraying them as comparatively inconsequential and highlighting the prevalent “just disregard it” mentality within the administration.
“Had Trump recognized value in removing Howard and concluding the Epstein commotion, he would have executed it,” remarked a former Trump campaign associate.
European monarchies have persevered through conflicts and revolutions. But can they withstand the challenge posed by complete transparency, where any email risks becoming public? Scandals in Norway, Britain, Denmark, and Spain illustrate: European monarchies have entered an epoch where private transgressions are undermining the institution’s very foundation. This was explored in the article “ The End of the Fairy Tale of Princes: How the Arrest of the “Stepson of the Crown” and the Epstein Files Are Destroying European Monarchies ” by Petro Katerynych .