Ask Onix
Lutnick confirms Epstein island visit in Capitol Hill testimony
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged on Tuesday that he visited Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island in 2012, contradicting earlier statements that he had severed all contact with the convicted sex offender years before his conviction.
The visit and its timing
Lutnick testified before lawmakers that he had lunch on Epstein's island during a family vacation in December 2012. His wife, four children, and nannies were present. The visit occurred four years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
"I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation," Lutnick said. "My wife was with me... We had lunch on the island. That is true. For an hour."
Contradictions and correspondence
Emails released by the US Department of Justice show Lutnick's wife, Allison, wrote to Epstein's assistant ahead of the visit, expressing anticipation: "We are looking forward to visiting you" and "We would love to join you for lunch."
Lutnick had previously told Congress he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after the financier used sexual innuendo to explain why he owned a massage table. In Tuesday's testimony, he stated he met Epstein only two other times over a 14-year period.
"I don't recall why we did it, but we did it," Lutnick said of the 2012 lunch. He later described the second meeting as an hour-long discussion with Epstein a year and a half after the island visit.
Reactions and calls for resignation
Lawmakers from both parties have demanded Lutnick's resignation. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen criticized Lutnick for misrepresenting the extent of his relationship with Epstein, saying: "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 of his despicable criminal and predatory acts."
The White House, however, stated on Tuesday that President Donald Trump fully supports Lutnick, who is credited with designing the administration's global tariffs policy. Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Broader revelations from Epstein documents
Lutnick is one of several high-profile figures named in over 3.5 million documents released by the Justice Department. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who co-sponsored the law mandating the release, both urged Lutnick to step down.
Khanna also revealed six additional names that were improperly redacted in the files, including retail billionaire Les Wexner. The Justice Department later unredacted Wexner's name, citing its frequent appearance in the documents. Wexner, former CEO of Victoria's Secret, was identified in a 2019 FBI document as a potential "co-conspirator."
"The Assistant US Attorney told Mr. Wexner's legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was being viewed as a source of information about Epstein and was not a target in any respect."
Wexner's legal representative
Wexner has previously accused Epstein of stealing millions from him while serving as his financial adviser. Another name unredacted was Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai Ports World. The BBC is working to confirm the identities of the remaining four individuals.
Survivors advocate for legislative change
While Lutnick testified, survivors of Epstein's abuse gathered on Capitol Hill to promote Virginia's Law, legislation aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse to file civil claims. The bill is named after Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein survivor who died by suicide in 2025.
Giuffre's sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, spoke at the event, saying: "No more laws that treat survivors as though time can erase harm. Pass Virginia's Law."
