Howard Lutnick Gives Details On His Time Spent With Jeffrey Epstein | EUROtoday

WASHINGTON ― U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed on Tuesday that he traveled to late intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s non-public island in 2012 for lunch as a part of a household trip.

“I did not have a relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person,” Lutnick advised senators at a listening to on broadband infrastructure.

Asked by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) if he noticed something inappropriate throughout his time with the deceased financier, Lutnick mentioned, “The only thing I saw … was staff who worked for Mr. Epstein on that island.”

Lutnick, a billionaire businessman, is dealing with bipartisan calls to resign from the Trump administration after emails launched by the Department of Justice confirmed he had ties to Epstein even after he was convicted in 2008 on costs of trafficking minors.

“Really, he should make life easier on the president, frankly, and just resign,” Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) advised CNN.

Lutnick, who was a neighbor of Epstein’s in New York, advised New York Post columnist Miranda Devine that after visiting his former neighbor’s home in 2005, “my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.”

But Lutnick despatched emails that mentioned touring to Epstein’s island in 2012, in line with a few of the newly launched paperwork. And his spouse was with him when he ultimately made the journey, in line with Lutnick’s newest testimony.

“My wife was with me, as were my four children, and nannies,” Lutnick mentioned Tuesday. “I had another couple, they were there as well, their children, and we had lunch on the island.”

Van Hollen advised Lutnick on Tuesday that he “totally misrepresented” the extent of his relationship with Epstein.

“The information recently revealed shows that you had interactions with Epstein over 13 years, including long after he was convicted of soliciting the prostitution of a minor,” Van Hollen mentioned. “That does call into question your credibility and fitness for the job.”

“You took your 4 children to have lunch with a man you knew to be a child abuser and pedophile? WTF,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) added in a submit on-line.

Republican senators additionally urged the commerce secretary to make clear his ties to Epstein, together with their enterprise relationship.

“He’s got a lot of explaining to do,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) advised HuffPost.

“The information on its face looks pretty compelling,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) mentioned. “He would do himself a service by just laying out exactly what did not happen in the course of their, what seems to be an interesting relationship that includes business entanglements.”