‘I Have Nothing To Hide’: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Denies Epstein Ties

Last Updated:February 10, 2026, 21:36 IST

Howard Lutnick said the first meeting occurred after Epstein moved next door to his New York townhouse.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick denied ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, even as Democratic lawmakers intensified calls for his resignation during a tense Senate hearing. Testifying before a Senate committee, Howard Lutnick said his interactions with Epstein were limited and incidental, insisting there was no personal or professional relationship between them.

“I did not have a relationship with Epstein," he told senators, adding that he met him only three times over 14 years. Howard Lutnick said the first meeting occurred after Epstein moved next door to his New York townhouse, while another encounter involved a lunch during a family vacation when Epstein was on a boat near his private island.

“Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person," Howard Lutnick said, stressing that he had done “absolutely nothing wrong in any possible regard" in connection with Epstein.

The US Commerce Secretary’s remarks came as newly released Justice Department documents renewed scrutiny of several prominent figures mentioned in Epstein-related records. During the hearing, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland challenged Howard Lutnick’s account, saying his explanations over the years had been inconsistent and had undermined his credibility.

Van Hollen pointed out that Howard Lutnick had previously told Congress he cut off contact with Epstein in 2005 after finding a comment by Epstein about a massage table in his home inappropriate. However, documents made public by the Justice Department include around 10 emails referencing Howard Lutnick, including mentions of a lunch on Epstein’s private Caribbean island Little Saint James where minors later accused Epstein of sexual abuse.

“Mr Secretary, that does call into question your fitness for the job you now hold and the question of your credibility before this committee and the Congress," Van Hollen said.

Addressing those records, Howard Lutnick acknowledged visiting Little Saint James on December 23, 2012, but said the trip was a family outing. He told the panel that his wife, four children and their nannies were present and that he did not witness any inappropriate behaviour. He said he could not recall the specific reason for being on the island but maintained that the visit was innocuous.

“I have nothing to hide," Howard Lutnick said, adding that a subsequent meeting with Epstein about a year and a half later lasted roughly an hour and was their final interaction. He argued that the handful of documents mentioning him were insignificant when viewed against the millions of records released.

The documents referencing Howard Lutnick are part of roughly 3.5 million files released by the Justice Department under a new law.

News world ‘I Have Nothing To Hide’: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Denies Epstein Ties

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