US Commerce Secretary Admits Visiting Epstein’s Private Island

In a startling reversal that has sent shockwaves through Washington D.C., the United States Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, has formally admitted to visiting the private island of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Testifying before a House committee on Capitol Hill this Tuesday, Lutnick conceded that he had visited the infamous Caribbean retreat in 2012—a statement that directly contradicts his previous assertions that he had severed ties with Epstein years earlier.

A Contradictory Narrative

For years, Lutnick maintained that his association with Epstein ended in 2005. He previously told Congress that he distanced himself after a disturbing encounter at Epstein’s New York residence, where the financier allegedly offered a "sexually suggestive" explanation for a massage table in his home.

However, newly unsealed Department of Justice documents, forced into the public domain by recent transparency legislation, tell a different story. The records place Lutnick on Epstein’s island on 23 December 2012, four years after Epstein had already been convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution.

"I had lunch with him during a boat trip with my family," Lutnick told the committee. "My wife and four children were with me. We had lunch on that island for perhaps an hour. I cannot recall exactly why we went, but we did go."

Timeline of Disputed Interactions

Bipartisan Calls for Resignation

The revelations have sparked a rare moment of bipartisan fury. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, the architects of the law that compelled the release of the Epstein documents, have both demanded Lutnick's immediate resignation. They argue that the Commerce Secretary's failure to be transparent about his history with a high-profile felon undermines his fitness for office.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen was particularly scathing during the hearing, accusing Lutnick of "serial obfuscation." Despite the outcry, the White House issued a statement late Tuesday evening confirming that President Donald Trump maintains "full confidence" in Secretary Lutnick.

Scope of the DOJ Documents

Lutnick attempted to downplay the significance of the documents, noting that his name appears on only "ten or so" emails out of millions of pages. He insisted that despite the island visit and a subsequent meeting eighteen months later, he had "almost no dealings" with the financier over the final fourteen years of Epstein's life.

While no specific criminal allegations have been levelled against Lutnick regarding Epstein’s illicit activities, the political fallout remains severe. Critics argue the issue is no longer just about the lunch in 2012, but about the integrity of a senior official who provided a false narrative to the American public and the legislature.