In October 2025, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the New York Post he cut off Jeffrey Epstein in 2005, saying he would “never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again,” per CBS News. He told a podcast that he was never in the same room with Epstein socially or for business. He called him “gross.”
The documents now in the public record show a Christmas Eve lunch on Epstein’s private island, a joint business venture, a fundraiser invitation, a $50,000 donation, and emails that run until 2018 — thirteen years after the cutoff he described.
Now Congress may ask him about it directly.
A note on the files themselves: The DOJ’s Epstein release is massive, and the department has said some documents in the trove include false and sensational claims submitted to the FBI. That caveat matters. What follows draws only from material reported by CBS News, CNN, ABC News, and Roll Call, or confirmed by Lutnick himself under sworn congressional testimony.
The Timeline
2005. Lutnick claims this is where contact with Epstein ended. His words: “never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again,” per CBS News.
December 2012. Emails in the DOJ files show Lutnick’s wife coordinating with Epstein’s assistant to plan a visit to Little St. James, Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lutnick was invited for Christmas Eve lunch. Afterward, Epstein’s assistant wrote, on Epstein’s behalf, “it was nice seeing you,” per CBS News.
December 2012 to 2014. Documents show Lutnick and Epstein each signed an agreement on Dec. 28, 2012, through business entities to acquire stakes in a now-shuttered advertising technology company called Adfin. Related correspondence continued until at least 2014, per CBS News and CNN.
2015. Documents reviewed by CNN show an invitation from Lutnick to Epstein to attend a Hillary Clinton fundraiser. It is unclear whether Epstein attended.
2017. Documents show Epstein agreed to donate $50,000 to a dinner in honor of Lutnick, per CBS News and CNN.
2018. The two were still communicating. Lutnick emailed about a proposed expansion of the Frick Collection near their neighboring New York homes, warning it might “block your sunlight and views,” per CBS News and CNN.
February 10, 2026. Testifying before the Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Lutnick acknowledged the island visit under questioning. “We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour,” he told lawmakers. “I don’t recall why we did it. But we did.” He added: “I have nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing,” per CBS News and Roll Call.
Lutnick has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, per CBS News.
The Photo That Disappeared. Then Came Back
An undated photo released as part of the DOJ’s Epstein files showed Epstein and Lutnick, dressed in a blue shirt and white shorts, along with three other individuals on Little St. James. The photo was authenticated by CBS News.
After its initial release, the image link returned a “Page not found” error. A version captured by the nonprofit Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine on January 31, 2026, remained accessible, per CBS News.
The DOJ said the image was caught up in a batch of files flagged for nudity that was pulled for review, and the photo was restored on February 26, 2026, per CBS News and ABC News. The restored version did not include any new redactions, per ABC News.
Rep. Thomas Massie, who helped push the Epstein Files Transparency Act, called on the DOJ to explain who removed the file and why. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu, in a post on X, accused the department of a cover-up and called it the “stupidest cover-up in history,” per ABC News.
Where This Goes Next
As the House Oversight Committee continues its Epstein-related depositions and document review, Chairman Rep. James Comer said it is “very possible” Lutnick could be called to testify, per PBS NewsHour.
Rep. Nancy Mace, who sits on the committee, has called for Lutnick to appear before the Oversight Committee. Rep. Ro Khanna has said he believes there are enough votes to subpoena Lutnick if necessary.
The Commerce Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, per ABC News.
What Congress Is Doing About It
Lutnick’s position, stated under oath, is that the island visit was a family lunch, nothing untoward occurred, and he had nothing to do with Epstein in any meaningful sense. “Of these millions and millions of documents, there may be 10 emails connecting me with him over a 14-year period,” he told senators, per CNN. “I did not have any relationship with him.”
The documents described by CBS News and CNN include the 2012 island lunch emails, the Adfin business documents, a fundraiser invitation, a $50,000 donation tied to a dinner honoring Lutnick, and the 2018 Frick Collection email. The span ends not in 2005 but years later.
Whether those contacts constitute a relationship is a question Lutnick has answered. Whether Congress accepts that answer is now a separate question. One that may require him to answer it again, this time under conditions he cannot control.
