According to a report by the Financial Times on Monday (February 9), an increasing number of U.S. lawmakers are calling for Commerce Secretary Lutnick (Howard Lutnick) to resign from his position in Trump’s cabinet due to his ties with Epstein (Jeffrey Epstein).
(Screenshot source: Financial Times, UK)
Adam Schiff, a Democratic Senator from California, stated on Monday that Lutnick had ‘lied to the American people’ regarding his association with the late convicted sex offender.
Schiff said, ‘The lies Lutnick told about his business dealings with a convicted sex offender raise serious concerns about his judgment and ethics. Lutnick should never have become our Commerce Secretary, and he should resign immediately.’
Before joining Trump’s cabinet and becoming Commerce Secretary last year, Lutnick served as the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, for nearly three decades.
Lutnick, a former Democrat, was one of the largest donors to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and co-chaired Trump’s transition team. The two have known each other socially for decades.
However, in recent weeks, Lutnick has faced mounting political pressure as documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice contradict his earlier claim that he severed ties with Epstein more than two decades ago.
Thomas Massie, a Republican Congressman from Kentucky, told CNN on Sunday, ‘He should resign. There is much that (Lutnick) needs to explain, but honestly, he should make the President’s life easier and simply step down.’
Robert Garcia, the Democratic leader of the House Oversight Committee, also joined calls for Lutnick to resign, stating on X platform that Lutnick ‘has been lying about his relationship with Epstein.’
Garcia said, ‘He claimed he had no contact with Epstein after 2005, but we now know they were still doing business together. Lutnick must either resign or be fired.’
The White House appeared to defend Lutnick on Monday. Spokesperson Kush Desai stated, “President Trump has assembled the most outstanding and transformative cabinet in modern history. The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce, remains focused on delivering results for the American people.”
In an interview last year, Lutnick mentioned a contact with Epstein in 2005. At that time, Epstein was his neighbor in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Lutnick said that shortly after Epstein showed him a room containing a massage table, he severed ties with the financier.
Lutnick told the New York Post at the time, “My wife and I decided that I would never be in the same room as that disgusting man again. I have never been with him socially, commercially, or even at charity events. If he were present, I wouldn’t attend because he is utterly repulsive.”
However, documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice last month contradicted Lutnick’s account, indicating that the two had maintained contact over the years. Emails revealed that they arranged social gatherings in New York and the Virgin Islands and co-invested in a private company at least once. They also communicated about community matters, such as attempting to block a planning application across the street in 2018.
In an email from 2011, Epstein’s assistant mentioned a planned drinking gathering with Lutnick.
Other emails from December 2012 showed that Lutnick planned to have lunch with Epstein on Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, located in the Caribbean. A few days later, Epstein’s assistant sent Lutnick an email conveying Epstein’s words: “Nice to see you.”
A stock purchase agreement from late 2012 showed that the two signed the document under their respective entities to acquire shares of Adfin, a defunct advertising technology company.
Lutnick also emailed Epstein in May 2018 regarding a proposed construction project in his neighborhood.
Melanie Stansbury, another Democratic member of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, called on Lutnick to testify before the committee on Monday. Last year, the committee intensified its investigation into the government’s handling of the Epstein case.
Stansbury told reporters, “The committee is continuing to compile a list of individuals we wish to subpoena. Certainly, we want to speak with Secretary Lutnick, and personally, I believe Mr. Lutnick needs to resign immediately.”