The Epstein files keep dropping bombshells, and the latest one landed squarely on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s desk. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie isn’t mincing words here. He’s calling for Lutnick to pack his bags and resign, and honestly, the timing couldn’t be worse for the Trump administration.
What makes this particularly messy is the gap between what Lutnick said before and what the documents are now revealing. He previously claimed he swore off Epstein after one meeting in 2005. That story’s not holding up well under scrutiny.
The Files Tell a Different Story
The New York Times dug through the newly released DOJ files and found something that directly contradicts Lutnick’s earlier statements. According to these documents, Lutnick and Epstein weren’t just acquaintances who met once and moved on. They were in regular contact for years after that supposed first and only meeting.
We’re talking about drinks in 2011, discussions about construction near their homes, and even a $50,000 donation from Epstein to an event honoring Lutnick. That’s not exactly the profile of someone who cut ties immediately. The files also show Epstein’s lawyer got hold of Lutnick’s nanny’s resume. Why would that happen if these two barely knew each other?
And then there’s the island. Massie stated pretty bluntly that Lutnick “clearly went to the island” based on what’s in the files. That’s Epstein’s private Caribbean island we’re talking about, the one that’s become synonymous with his crimes.
When Business Gets Complicated
The business connections between the two men add another layer to this mess. Both Lutnick and Epstein invested in a company called AdFin Solutions, which has since gone under. That’s a financial relationship that extends beyond casual social interactions.
Massie was the lead Republican on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, so he’s got skin in this game. He pushed for these files to be released, and now they’re exposing people in ways that are hard to ignore. He pointed out that British officials have already fallen over their Epstein connections. Morgan McSweeney resigned as chief of staff to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Peter Mandelson got ousted as U.S. ambassador. Both were named in the files.
The Commerce Department is playing defense, calling this a “failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments.” That’s a pretty standard PR move when you’re backed into a corner. They’re sticking with the “very limited interactions” line, but the documented evidence suggests otherwise.
The Political Fallout
Massie’s angle here is interesting because he’s approaching this from his own party. He’s not a Democrat trying to score political points against a Republican administration. He’s saying Lutnick should resign to “make life easier on the president.” That’s Republican on Republican criticism, which carries different weight in political circles.
The fact that these files are coming out now, while Lutnick is serving as Commerce Secretary, makes this exponentially more problematic than if he were still in the private sector. Public officials face different standards, and connections to a convicted sex offender are about as toxic as it gets in public service.
What’s clear is that the Epstein files aren’t done causing chaos. Each release brings new names, new connections, and new questions about who knew what and when. The transparency that Massie fought for is now creating massive headaches for people who thought their associations with Epstein would stay buried or could be downplayed as minimal contact.
The real question isn’t whether Lutnick had dealings with Epstein anymore. The documents make that pretty clear. The question is whether those dealings, conducted years after Epstein’s conviction, are disqualifying for someone holding a cabinet position in the United States government.
