Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Had Lunch on Epstein’s Island, New Files Reveal

Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Planned Lunch on Epstein’s Island, New Files Reveal

Over three million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein reveal that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick apparently visited Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, for lunch years after claiming to have cut ties with him.

Records show that Lutnick and Epstein planned a lunch on December 23, 2012, on Epstein’s Caribbean island, with family and friends. That morning, Lutnick’s wife wrote to Epstein’s secretary: “We are heading towards you from St. Thomas” and asked where to anchor.

The files also detail communications about a Sunday dinner. Epstein emailed Lutnick: “Come Sat or Sunday lunch? Little St James on the map, behind Christmas Cove.” Lutnick’s note mentioned he would be accompanied by another couple, Michael and Marcy Lehrman, and their children, totaling eight kids aged seven to sixteen.

A day after the lunch, Epstein’s assistant sent Lutnick a note from Epstein stating, “Nice seeing you.” In 2015, Epstein’s assistant forwarded an invitation from Lutnick for a fundraiser at his financial firm for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Contradictions With Lutnick’s Previous Statements

The documents also suggest Lutnick, then chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, and Epstein had a phone call in April 2011 and drinks in May 2011.

These records contrast with Lutnick’s earlier claims that he had severed ties with Epstein in 2005. In an interview with the New York Post, Lutnick said he and his wife Allison had decided to “never be in a room with that disgusting person ever again” after Epstein boasted about sexual massages during a tour of his Manhattan townhouse. He added, “So I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy was there, I wasn’t going, because he’s gross.”

A Commerce Department spokesperson said Lutnick had “limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.” Lutnick himself told the New York Times that he could not comment on the island visit because he had not seen the latest Epstein files. “I spent zero time with him,” he said before ending the call.

Continued Overlap in Later Years

The documents indicate that Lutnick and Epstein’s lives continued to intersect. In 2017, Epstein contributed to a charity dinner honoring Lutnick. In 2018, they exchanged emails regarding plans to oppose construction near The Frick Collection, a museum across from both of their homes.

While several prominent figures linked to Epstein have faced scrutiny for visits to Little Saint James, Lutnick’s planned trip to the island had not previously been reported.