Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has publicly demanded the resignation of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a fellow Republican and staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, over his documented ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Massie's Call for Accountability
Massie, who co-authored the law that mandated the release of the so-called Epstein files, made his remarks during an appearance on CNN's Inside Politics on Sunday. He asserted that Lutnick "has a lot to answer for" and suggested that resigning would "make life easier on the president, frankly." Drawing a comparison to the political fallout in the UK from the Epstein scandal, which cost figures like Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor his royal title and Peter Mandelson his US ambassadorship, Massie added, "If this were Great Britain, he'd already be gone."
Revelations from the Released Files
The call for resignation comes just over a week after the US Justice Department released approximately 3 million investigative files on Epstein, in compliance with the transparency law that Massie helped pass. These disclosures revealed that Lutnick discussed visiting Epstein's private island, Little St James, in 2012. This was four years after Epstein was sentenced to 13 months in jail for procuring a minor for prostitution.
The emails between Lutnick and Epstein, often facilitated through intermediaries, included correspondence about travel arrangements and political fundraising. In one exchange from November 2012, Epstein's assistant messaged Lutnick, indicating that Epstein understood Lutnick would be in St Thomas over the holidays and provided contact numbers for a possible meeting.
In a follow-up email on December 19, 2012, Lutnick wrote to "Jeff" Epstein, detailing plans to travel to the Caribbean with his family and friends on his boat. He inquired, "Where are you located (what is exact location for my captain)?? Does Sunday evening for dinner sound good?" An individual, whose name is redacted, responded with an invitation to "come sat or sunday lunch? little st james on the map, behind christmans cove." The files do not confirm whether Lutnick ever visited the island, which is known to have been a site of child sexual abuse.
Further Connections and Political Implications
Beyond travel discussions, the emails show Lutnick inviting Epstein to a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign in November 2015, despite Lutnick's later support for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Additionally, in May 2018, Lutnick sought Epstein's advice regarding a renovation by The Frick Collection museum that threatened to block views from his property, writing, "Are you aware as to them building to block our park views. What should we do about it? Time is of the essence."
In response to the allegations, a statement from Lutnick's commerce department dismissed the claims as "nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration's accomplishments." It further noted that "Mr and Mrs Lutnick met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited interactions with him over the next 14 years."
Bipartisan Pressure and Calls for Action
Despite Lutnick's downplaying of the correspondence, which the New York Times reports did not indicate a close friendship, lawmakers from both parties are calling for consequences. Democratic US House member Robert Garcia of California echoed Massie's sentiments in a social media post on Sunday, stating, "Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions."
Massie emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "Look, Howard Lutnick clearly went to the island if we believe what's in these files. And this was many years after Jeffrey Epstein was convicted. You know, lightly sentenced – but was convicted for sexual crimes." The ongoing scrutiny highlights the broader political ramifications of the Epstein scandal, extending beyond partisan lines and into the highest levels of US government.
