White House shrugs off Lutnick’s Epstein ties

Revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files have toppled leaders in business, entertainment and academia, but the White House has sought to downplay connections among its senior officials. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged traveling to Epstein’s private island and meeting him on another occasion, yet the administration has rejected calls for his resignation.

"Secretary Lutnick remains a very important member of President Trump’s team and the president fully supports the secretary," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Lutnick’s name appears in more than 250 documents in the released files; he said he first met Epstein when they became Manhattan neighbors in 2005 and could recall only two further meetings over 14 years.

At a Senate hearing, however, he confirmed that he and his family traveled to the island in 2012 for a lunch with Epstein during a family vacation aboard his yacht, a visit that came four years after Epstein’s guilty plea in Florida.

United States, Manhattan

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