Commerce Secretary Under Fire Over Lunch with Sex Offender on Private Island
In a bombshell revelation, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has admitted that he shared lunch with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on his private island in 2012. The claim comes at a time when Lutnick is facing intense pressure to resign from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
According to Lutnick's testimony before the Senate appropriations committee, he had lunch with Epstein and his family on Epstein's island, where they were joined by another couple and their children. Lutnick claimed that it was a casual encounter, saying "we had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour".
The news has sparked outrage among Democrats, who are calling for Lutnick to resign or be fired. US House member Robert Garcia tweeted that Lutnick must answer questions and take responsibility for his actions, while other lawmakers have echoed similar sentiments.
Lutnick had previously distanced himself from Epstein in 2005, but the latest revelation has raised eyebrows given the timing of the lunch invitation, which came four years after Epstein's conviction. The Commerce Secretary's claims of a brief encounter with Epstein do little to alleviate concerns about his association with the convicted sex offender.
The controversy has been likened to the fallout in UK politics following the Epstein scandal, where Prince Andrew lost his title and Peter Mandelson was forced out as ambassador to Washington. As the US government faces mounting pressure to take action, Lutnick's position remains uncertain.
In a bombshell revelation, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has admitted that he shared lunch with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on his private island in 2012. The claim comes at a time when Lutnick is facing intense pressure to resign from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
According to Lutnick's testimony before the Senate appropriations committee, he had lunch with Epstein and his family on Epstein's island, where they were joined by another couple and their children. Lutnick claimed that it was a casual encounter, saying "we had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour".
The news has sparked outrage among Democrats, who are calling for Lutnick to resign or be fired. US House member Robert Garcia tweeted that Lutnick must answer questions and take responsibility for his actions, while other lawmakers have echoed similar sentiments.
Lutnick had previously distanced himself from Epstein in 2005, but the latest revelation has raised eyebrows given the timing of the lunch invitation, which came four years after Epstein's conviction. The Commerce Secretary's claims of a brief encounter with Epstein do little to alleviate concerns about his association with the convicted sex offender.
The controversy has been likened to the fallout in UK politics following the Epstein scandal, where Prince Andrew lost his title and Peter Mandelson was forced out as ambassador to Washington. As the US government faces mounting pressure to take action, Lutnick's position remains uncertain.
! I don't get why they even have a private island with all these people on it 
... Like, what was going on over there? And how did Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just casually hang out with someone who's been convicted of sex crimes? 
It sounds like he's trying to downplay it, but honestly, that doesn't make him look good at all 
. I mean, can you imagine if your favorite celebrity or public figure had lunch with a convicted felon? We'd be all over their face about it 
! Why is it so hard for Lutnick to just own up to his mistake and take responsibility for his actions? 
This whole thing is making me cringe...
how can he even think that a casual lunch with a convicted sex offender is okay? I mean I get it, everyone makes mistakes but come on Howard, you gotta be more careful with who you associate with. And the fact that he's trying to downplay it by saying it was just for an hour... umm no 
that's still way too close for comfort. I feel like there should be some serious consequences for this, maybe even a resignation. But what if he doesn't take responsibility? That would be so disappointing 
, this is a huge mess for Commerce Secretary Lutnick. Interesting how he's trying to downplay it saying it was just a casual lunch encounter... like that changes everything? 
The fact that it happened on Epstein's island 4 years after his conviction is super suspicious. And now lawmakers are calling for him to resign, I think they should... the guy has some serious 'splainin' to do 
. If he'd just owned up to meeting Epstein sooner, maybe this would be less of an issue. Now it's gonna take a lot more than just saying "it was a casual encounter" to rebuild trust 
umm no Howard Lutnick you can't just brush off a connection with someone who did what Epstein did.
. The Commerce Secretary position is a big deal and he should be held accountable for his actions.
especially when they have such a big influence over our country & economy...Lutnick should def resign or step down from his position ASAP, im not sure what's more concerning tho is how long did he know Epstein was a sex offender? 
at least the senate is holding him accountable now. this is a huge scandal and it's not going to go away anytime soon 
can't wait to see what other skeletons come out of his closet 
Still, gotta wonder what was going through Lutnick's head that day... did he know the whole story about Epstein or was he just clueless? 