Overview
- On CNN, Rep. Thomas Massie said Howard Lutnick should "just resign," citing newly released DOJ files on Lutnick’s post‑2005 interactions with Jeffrey Epstein.
- DOJ documents include emails arranging a 2012 visit to Epstein’s private island, evidence of business dealings as late as 2014, and contact through at least 2018, contradicting Lutnick’s earlier account.
- Lutnick previously told the New York Post he severed ties with Epstein around 2005, a timeline now at odds with the DOJ records described in recent reporting.
- The Commerce Department says Lutnick has never been accused of wrongdoing and characterizes his interactions with Epstein as limited, and Lutnick has not directly addressed the new materials.
- The dispute is rippling through GOP politics as President Trump backs Massie’s primary opponent and attacks Massie, who notes he co-led transparency efforts on the files and that at least one Democrat, Rep. Ted Lieu, has also urged a resignation.