U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick acknowledges conferences with Epstein that contradict earlier claims

Beneath questioning from Democrats on Tuesday (February 10, 2026), Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged that he had met with Jeffrey Epstein twice after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a toddler, reversing Mr. Lutnick’s earlier declare that he had lower ties with the late financier after 2005.

Mr. Lutnick as soon as once more downplayed his relationship with the disgraced financier who was as soon as his neighbour in New York Metropolis as he was questioned by Democrats throughout a subcommittee listening to of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He described their contact as a handful of emails and a pair of conferences that had been years aside.

“I didn’t have any relationship with him. I barely had something to do with him,” Mr. Lutnick informed lawmakers.

However Mr. Lutnick is going through calls from a number of lawmakers for his resignation after the discharge of case information on Epstein contradicted Mr. Lutnick’s claims on a podcast final 12 months that he had determined to “by no means be within the room” with Epstein once more after a 2005 tour of Epstein’s dwelling that disturbed Mr. Lutnick and his spouse.

The Commerce Secretary stated on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) that he and his household really had lunch with Epstein on his non-public island in 2012 and he had one other hour-long engagement at Epstein’s dwelling in 2011. Mr. Lutnick, a member of President Donald Trump’s Cupboard, is the highest-profile U.S. official to face bipartisan requires his resignation amid revelations of his ties to Epstein. His acknowledgement comes as lawmakers are greedy for what accountability appears like amid the revelations contained in what’s often known as the Epstein information.

In nations like the UK, the Epstein information have triggered resignations and the stripping of royal privileges, however to date, US officers haven’t met the identical degree of retribution.

Senator Chris Van Hollen, the Democrat who questioned Mr. Lutnick, informed him, “There’s not a sign that you simply your self engaged in any wrongdoing with Jeffrey Epstein. It’s the truth that you imagine that you simply misled the nation and the Congress primarily based in your earlier statements.”

In the meantime, Home members who initiated the legislative effort to drive the discharge of the information are calling for Mr. Lutnick to resign. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky referred to as for that over the weekend after emails had been launched that alluded to the conferences between Mr. Lutnick and Epstein.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, joined Massie in pressuring Mr. Lutnick out of workplace on Monday (February 10, 2026).

“Primarily based on the proof, he must be out of the Cupboard,” Mr. Khanna stated.

He added, “It’s not about any specific particular person. On this nation, now we have to decide. Are we going to permit the wealthy and highly effective people who find themselves associates and (had) no downside doing enterprise and displaying up with a pedophile who’s raping underage ladies, or are we simply going to permit them to skate?”