In a dramatic reversal of his previous testimony, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has formally admitted to visiting the infamous private island of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The revelation came during a high-stakes hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, directly contradicting Lutnick’s long-standing assertion that he had severed all ties with Epstein well before the financier’s first conviction.
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A One-Hour Lunch Date
Under intense questioning, Lutnick confirmed that he travelled to Little St. James—Epstein’s Caribbean retreat—in 2012. This visit occurred four years after Epstein had already been convicted in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Lutnick described the visit as a brief stop during a family holiday. “I was on a boat with my family, and we had lunch with him,” Lutnick testified. “My wife and four children were with me. It is true we had lunch on that island, but it was for only one hour.”
Contradictory Testimony and Timeline
The Commerce Secretary had previously informed Congress that he broke off contact with Epstein in 2005. At the time, Lutnick claimed he was repulsed by “sexually suggestive” comments Epstein made regarding a massage table in his New York home. However, the newly released Department of Justice (DOJ) documents—mandated by recent transparency laws—tell a different story.
The DOJ records include emails and correspondence that place Lutnick on the island on 23 December 2012. Furthermore, Lutnick admitted during the hearing that he met Epstein at least twice more over the subsequent 14 years, including a private meeting roughly 18 months after the island visit.
Key Discrepancies in Lutnick’s Statements
| Topic | Previous Claim | Current Admission (Feb 2026) |
| Severance of Ties | Claimed all contact ended in 2005. | Admitted meetings continued until at least 2014. |
| Epstein’s Island | Denied ever visiting the property. | Confirmed a 2012 visit with family. |
| Reason for Meeting | Disgust over Epstein’s behaviour. | “Cannot recall” specifically why they met in 2012. |
| DOJ Documentation | Claimed no involvement in files. | Name appears in approximately 10 emails/files. |
Political Fallout and Calls for Resignation
The revelation has sparked a firestorm of bipartisan criticism. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, lambasted Lutnick during the hearing for his “mutually exclusive” accounts. Perhaps more damaging is the outcry from the architects of the Epstein disclosure laws: Representative Ro Khanna (Democrat) and Representative Thomas Massie (Republican). Both lawmakers have demanded Lutnick’s immediate resignation, citing his lack of transparency.
Despite the mounting pressure, the White House issued a statement late Tuesday evening affirming that President Donald Trump maintains “full confidence” in Secretary Lutnick. Lutnick continues to maintain that he was never involved in any of Epstein’s illicit activities and that his name appears only sparingly in the millions of pages of released documents.