Epstein Files: ‘I don’t recall why we did it,’ Trump’s Commerce Secy Howard Lutnick confesses to visiting Epstein Island

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accepted on Tuesday that he visited the private Caribbean island of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, also known as Little Saint James, in 2012. Files and emails released by the Department of Justice show that Lutnick’s wife contacted Epstein’s assistant on the morning of December 23, 2012, to arrange anchoring their boat near the island.

This is in stark contradiction to his previous statements that he cut ties with the late sex offender. 

What did Lutnick tell the US Congress?

Lutnick told the US Congress that he had lunch with Epstein on the island. He said that the lunch took place 4 years after Jeffrey Epstein was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida. 

“I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation,” he said. He added that his wife, their four children and nannies were also present. “We had lunch on the island. That is true. For an hour.” 

While he accepted the visit, Lutnick said that he could not recall the reason for it. “I don’t recall why we did it, but we did it,” he said.

The US Commerce Secretary also told Congress that he met Epstein only 3 times and exchanged around 10 emails over 14 years. “Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him; I barely had anything to do with that person,” he said.

Did Lutnick just contradict himself?

For a long time, Lutnick maintained that he cut all ties with Epstein in 2005 after describing an uncomfortable encounter at the late sex offender’s New York townhouse involving a massage table and a sexually suggestive remark.

He previously said that he vowed to never be “in a room” with Jeffrey Epstein again after the incident. He further said, “I know, and my wife knows that I have done absolutely nothing wrong in any possible regard.” 

White House, Commerce Dept on Lutnick’s testimony

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Lutnick has the confidence of US President Donald Trump. She told reporters that Howard Lutnick “remains a very important member” of Trump’s team.

Moreover, a Commerce Department spokesperson said that Lutnick’s interactions with Epstein were limited and took place in his family’s presence. 

About Epstein’s Little St. James Island

Located in the US Virgin Islands off the St Thomas coast, the property spans 72 acres and is commonly referred to by locals as ‘Epstein Island’ or ‘Pedophile Island’. In 2016, Epstein purchased the larger Greater Saint James Island for around $22.5 million. 

After he died in 2019, his estate sold both the islands in 2023 for approximately $60 million to Stephen Deckoff, the founder of Black Diamond Capital Management. As of early 2026, Deckoff plans to transform them into a high-end, 25-room luxury resort.