US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday acknowledged having lunch on the private island of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2012, while denying any closer relationship, as bipartisan calls mounted for his resignation.
An increasing number of US lawmakers have urged Lutnick to step down from President Donald Trump’s cabinet after files released by the Justice Department contradicted earlier claims that he had cut ties with Epstein more than two decades ago.
President Trump “fully supports” Lutnick despite revelations that he maintained contact with Epstein, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday, adding that he “remains a very important member” of the administration.
Records show that Lutnick planned to meet Epstein for lunch in 2012 on Little Saint James, widely known as Epstein Island.
“We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour,” Lutnick told a Senate committee hearing.
He said he was accompanied by his wife, children and nannies, describing the visit as part of a family holiday.
“We were on a family vacation,” he said.
Asked whether he witnessed anything inappropriate, Lutnick said he saw only his family, another family and staff working for Epstein on the island.
Several prominent figures have faced scrutiny over visits to Little Saint James, the private island in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors allege Epstein trafficked underage girls for sexual exploitation.
No relationship
Addressing the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, Lutnick insisted, “Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person.”
He was referring to the period from 2005, when he moved into a New York residence near Epstein’s home and said their interactions were limited.
However, lawmakers from both parties have criticised his account.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said on Monday that “Lutnick has no business being our Commerce Secretary and should resign immediately,” adding that earlier denials raised “serious concerns about his judgement and ethics.”
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie also said on Sunday that Lutnick “should just resign”, citing similar precedents in Britain.
Meanwhile, Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, accused Lutnick of misleading the public about his dealings with Epstein.
“He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, yet we now know they were in business together,” Garcia said, referring to documents indicating the two had jointly invested in a firm.
Lutnick denied on Tuesday that he had dinner at Epstein’s New York home in 2011, though he acknowledged documents suggesting a meeting had been planned that May.
He was also questioned about records indicating Epstein had sought to meet his nanny, which he dismissed as irrelevant.
“That had nothing to do with me,” he said. “I have nothing to hide, absolutely nothing.”
Earlier, White House spokesman Kush Desai told AFP that the Trump administration “remains focused on delivering for the American people”.
Lutnick, a close ally of President Trump, served as chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald before being appointed commerce secretary last year.
