Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is calling on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to resign after the latest tranche of Epstein files show him in business dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Asked by CNN Inside Politics Sunday host Manu Raju whether Lutnick should testify in front of Congress about his past ties to Epstein, Massie responded, “No, he should just resign.”
“There are three people in Great Britain that have resigned in politics … for less than what we’ve seen Howard Lutnick lie about,” he said.
DOJ SAYS NO EPSTEIN FILES WERE REDACTED FOR NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS
British politician Peter Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords and quit his membership to the governing Labour Party last week. He was previously removed from his post as British ambassador to the United States last year as a result of his known ties to Epstein. On Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s aide Morgan McSweeney resigned for recommending Mandelson serve as ambassador.
Additionally, Prince Andrew was formally stripped of his royal titles by King Charles III last fall for being an alleged accomplice to Epstein’s sexual degeneracy.
While the political fallout from the Epstein files has been more widespread in Europe, Lutnick is one U.S. official whose relationship with the sex trafficker is now under scrutiny.
Documents released by the Department of Justice show Lutnick planned to visit Epstein’s private island in December 2012. The two signed an agreement that month on behalf of limited liability companies to acquire stakes in advertising technology company Adfin, which would later shutter.
EPSTEIN FILES SHOW MUSK PLANNED TO VISIT INFAMOUS ISLAND FOR ‘WILDEST PARTY’ DESPITE DENIAL OF TIES
Lutnick once claimed he and his wife cut ties with Epstein in 2005, but the uncovered emails show he kept in touch with the disgraced financier several years after his 2008 conviction in Florida. Based on the email records, Lutnick apparently planned to get drinks with Epstein in 2011 and have lunch on Epstein’s island in December 2012. The latter invitation was for Lutnick and his family.
In response to the alleged meetings, the Commerce Department downplayed Lutnick’s business relationship with Epstein.
“This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments including securing trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals, and fighting for the American worker,” the department said in a statement. “Secretary Lutnick had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
Reiterating his call for Lutnick to resign, Massie said he is convinced Lutnick visited the island if his interactions with Epstein, as outlined in the files, are true.
“He should make life easier on the president, frankly, and just resign,” the Kentucky Republican told CNN. “If this were Great Britain, he’d already be gone.”
DOJ ALLOWING CONGRESS TO VIEW UNREDACTED EPSTEIN FILES
A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Massie co-led with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) the bipartisan effort forcing the Trump administration to release all the files late last year. However, the administration has faced criticism for failing to release the unredacted files in full and on time. Only partial releases have taken place since Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law.
Starting Monday, members of Congress will be able to view the unredacted versions of over 3 million pages of investigative documents released at the end of January. The announcement came on Friday after Massie and Khanna urged Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to grant Congress the ability to view the files in full.