Commerce Secretary Lutnick Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Epstein Ties as Photo Surfaces

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces renewed congressional scrutiny over his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the brief removal and restoration of a Justice Department photo showing him on Epstein's private island.

The image, part of recently released Epstein files, shows Lutnick with Epstein and three other men on Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was taken down from the DOJ's website before being restored on Thursday night, with archived copies preserved by the Internet Archive.

Lutnick told lawmakers earlier this month that he visited the island with his family in 2012 for about an hour, asserting he had "nothing to hide." He has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein's crimes.

However, newly released documents contradict Lutnick's earlier claims that he ended contact with Epstein in 2005. Records indicate they communicated about a joint business venture, Adfin, as recently as 2018. Epstein wrote to Lutnick that year asking about the company's prospects, and Lutnick emailed Epstein regarding a museum renovation near their residences in New York.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told reporters on Thursday that there is a "good possibility" Lutnick's name will come up during testimony from Hillary Clinton, who is being deposed about potential Epstein interactions. Comer did not rule out calling Lutnick to testify, noting the panel is examining evidence, including the newly surfaced photograph.

The Commerce Department has not commented on the developments. The increased scrutiny forms part of broader congressional investigations into Epstein's network following the release of thousands of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.