Overview
- Democratic lawmakers called for Lutnick’s resignation after Wednesday’s closed-door House questioning, saying he lied about his contacts with Jeffrey Epstein and concealed key details.
- Lutnick acknowledged a 2012 lunch with Epstein on Little St. James during a family trip and denied wrongdoing, yet he told members he could not recall why the meeting happened.
- Democrats said Lutnick changed earlier statements after talking with Trump administration officials, while Republican chair James Comer said Lutnick had not been fully honest but that known emails showed no misconduct.
- U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas on Wednesday ordered the release of a handwritten note said to be from Epstein, which the court made public at the New York Times’ request even though officials have not authenticated it.
- The Justice Department’s January release of roughly three million pages first flagged Lutnick’s 2012 island visit, setting off the scrutiny now fueling renewed calls for accountability.