Epstein files reveal Commerce Secretary Lutnick visited Epstein's island for lunch, contradicting his claims he cut ties
Newly released Epstein documents revealed that Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick--who claimed in interviews that after a 2005 encounter at Epstein's home he 'will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again'--continued contact with Epstein for years afterward. Emails show: A 2011 message saying 'Howard Lutnick returned your call'; another reading 'Howard Lutnick will come see you at 5 p.m.'; and an alarm message heading 'Drinks w/Howard Lutnick' from that same year. Most damning: On December 23, 2012, Lutnick and his wife made plans to visit Epstein's Caribbean island Little Saint James for lunch. Lutnick's wife wrote to Epstein's secretary that morning: 'We are heading towards you from St. Thomas' and asked where to anchor. A day later, Epstein's assistant sent a follow-up note reading 'Nice seeing you.' Additionally, a November 2015 email shows Lutnick invited Epstein to a Democratic fundraiser for Hillary Clinton that Lutnick hosted. The Commerce Department responded that Lutnick had 'limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing'--a statement that did not address the contradiction between his public claims of cutting ties in 2005 and documented contact through at least 2015.
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThe Lutnick revelations represent a secondary but significant finding from the January 2026 Epstein document release: a Trump cabinet member whose documented relationship with Epstein directly contradicts his public statements. Lutnick claimed he cut ties in 2005, yet emails show contact in 2011, a visit to Epstein's island in December 2012, and an invitation to Epstein for a 2015 Clinton fundraiser--a decade of continued engagement. The Commerce Department's response ('limited interactions in the presence of his wife') is a non-denial denial that avoids the central question: why did Lutnick lie about cutting ties? This fits a broader pattern where Trump appointees' Epstein connections surface through document releases rather than voluntary disclosure.