The White House has pushed back against mounting calls for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to step down, following fresh revelations about his past business and personal connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement released Monday, the Trump administration said it continues to stand by Lutnick despite pressure from lawmakers across party lines.
“President Trump has assembled one of the most transformative Cabinets in modern history,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said. “Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce remain fully focused on delivering results for the American people.”
The response comes after several members of Congress demanded Lutnick’s resignation in light of newly released Justice Department documents, widely referred to as the Epstein files, which detail Epstein’s interactions with prominent figures.
Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, accused Lutnick of misleading the public about the extent of his relationship with Epstein.
“He lied to the country about his ties to Epstein,” Schiff wrote on X. “We now know they were business partners. He has no business serving as Commerce Secretary and should resign.”
Schiff’s remarks followed comments from Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, who also urged Lutnick to step aside. Massie cited a New York Times investigation that found Lutnick and Epstein, who lived next door to each other in New York City, maintained regular contact over several years.
Speaking on CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday, Massie said the files suggest Lutnick remained involved with Epstein long after Epstein’s 2005 conviction.
“He should just resign,” Massie said. “He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein years after the conviction. At this point, he’s got a lot to answer for, and stepping down would make things easier for the president.”
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, went further, calling on the administration to either force Lutnick out or demand his immediate resignation.
“It’s now clear that Secretary Lutnick was not truthful about his relationship with Epstein,” Garcia wrote on X. “He said there were no interactions after 2005, yet records show they continued doing business together. He must resign or be fired.”
Lutnick, a former chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but insisted he cut off all ties after an initial encounter in 2005. He reiterated that claim during a podcast appearance last year.
However, the New York Times’ review of the Epstein files paints a different picture. According to the report, Lutnick and Epstein communicated for years afterward, shared investments in a now-defunct company, and socialized on multiple occasions. The documents also indicate Epstein donated $50,000 to an event honoring Lutnick and was involved in vetting a resume for Lutnick’s household staff.
The scrutiny surrounding Lutnick has intensified as dozens of high-profile figures have been named in the Epstein files, which the Justice Department began releasing after Congress passed legislation mandating their disclosure.
A spokesperson for the Commerce Department dismissed the controversy, describing Lutnick’s interactions with Epstein as “very limited” and accusing legacy media outlets of attempting to distract from the administration’s policy achievements.
As pressure mounts, the White House has so far shown no indication that it plans to remove Lutnick, setting the stage for a broader political battle over accountability and transparency tied to the Epstein disclosures.
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