US Commerce Secretary Lutnick Planned Epstein Island Visit, Emails Reveal
Emails have surfaced showing that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick planned a visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious island, highlighting a significant contradiction to Lutnick’s previous claims about severing ties with the convicted pedophile.
– Context of the Emails: The emails, disclosed in the latest Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), reveal that Lutnick, alongside his wife and their four children, intended to visit Little Saint James in 2012. This occurred years after Lutnick asserted he had cut ties with Epstein.
– Contradictory Statements: In October, Lutnick publicly stated that he vowed in 2005 to never be in a room with Epstein again. The emails, however, suggest otherwise.
– Commerce Department’s Response: A spokesperson for the Commerce Department emphasized that Lutnick has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Details from the Emails
The release of these emails is part of millions of documents published by the DOJ—the most extensive disclosure following a law mandating their release last year. Key points from the emails include:
– Planned Visit: Lutnick’s family, along with another family, intended to visit Epstein’s island, which he purchased in 1998.
– Email Correspondence: In a December 2012 email, Lutnick’s wife, Allison, expressed excitement about the visit, stating: We will be coming from Caneel Bay in the morning. We are a crowd… 2 families each with 4 kids ranging in age from 7-16! 6 boys and 2 girls. I hope that’s okay. We would love to join you for lunch.
– Dinner Plans: Another email sent by Lutnick to a redacted recipient mentioned plans for dinner with Epstein, indicating that arrangements for a visit were indeed made.
Implications and Historical Context
– Significance of Communication: One email sent on December 24, 2012, included a message from Epstein saying, Nice seeing you, hinting at the likelihood that they met at least once during the planned visit.
– Lutnick’s Past Statements: In an interview with the New York Post in October 2025, Lutnick recounted an unsettling encounter with Epstein in 2005 when they were neighbors in New York. Lutnick described how’ following a tour of Epstein’s home, which included a massage room, he and his wife quickly decided to distance themselves from him.
– Official Statement: The Commerce Department reiterated that Lutnick only had limited interactions with Epstein, always in the presence of his wife, and maintained that he has not engaged in any wrongful behavior.
The Broader Context of the Epstein Files
On the same day these emails were disclosed, the DOJ released over three million pages of documents, including 180,000 images and 2,000 videos. This vast collection highlights the web of connections surrounding Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting sex from a minor and died in jail while facing serious charges in a sex trafficking case.
Conclusion
The recently uncovered emails depicting US Commerce Secretary Lutnick’s planned visit to Epstein’s island raise serious questions about his previous assertions and the extent of his connections to Epstein. As more information emerges from the Epstein files, the public remains keenly interested in understanding the full scope of these relationships and their implications.