On February 10, 2026, United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced questioning before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee after the release of documents connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The recently unsealed Epstein files, part of a large set of records released by the Department of Justice, showed multiple points of contact between Lutnick and Epstein, including meetings that occurred years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Lutnick acknowledged to senators that he had lunch with Epstein on Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2012 while on a family vacation with his wife, children and nannies. He stated that the encounter lasted about an hour and maintained that he had “nothing to hide” and that his overall relationship with Epstein was limited. The files also included email correspondence indicating additional meetings or interactions in other years.
The revelations contradicted prior public statements in which Lutnick said he had cut ties with Epstein after meeting him in 2005 and described Epstein as “gross.” New documents in the Epstein files showed communications and interactions between the two as late as 2018 and suggested involvement with business ventures connected to Epstein. Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns about the accuracy of Lutnick’s past statements and called for greater transparency or potential resignation. The White House, however, expressed continued support for Lutnick.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, and his private island, Little Saint James, has been central to investigations into his network of associates. The released files include a mixture of emails, documents and other records that have drawn scrutiny toward prominent individuals named in them.
