Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently admitted, after newly released emails provided hard evidence, that he visited convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in December 2012. His admission is making Republican senators worried that this could balloon into a political liability for them in the upcoming midterm elections.
Lutnick is generally viewed as one of Donald Trump’s most influential economic advisers, and GOP senators have been impressed by his ability to strike trade deals that have softened the economic impact of Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. However, Lutnick’s testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing contradicts his earlier claim that he had cut all contact with Epstein after meeting him back in 2005.
