House Democrats Demand Commerce Secretary Lutnick's Resignation Over Epstein Ties

House Democrats have formally demanded the resignation of U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, alleging he lied to the American public about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The demand follows a closed-door interview where Lutnick denied misleading lawmakers, despite transcripts revealing he admitted to meeting Epstein three times, including a 2012 lunch on Epstein's private island. This contradicts Lutnick's previous 2025 claims that he avoided Epstein after 2005. Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee stated that Lutnick’s lack of candor makes him unfit for office, accusing him of playing semantic games to conceal the extent of their interactions. In response, a Commerce Department spokesperson dismissed the calls as baseless and politically motivated, asserting that Lutnick answered nearly 400 questions voluntarily and that three encounters do not constitute a relationship. The White House, under President Donald Trump, continues to support Lutnick, despite ongoing scrutiny regarding Trump's own past associations with Epstein. The controversy highlights intensified political pressure surrounding the release of Epstein-related files and the accountability of high-ranking officials with alleged ties to the disgraced financier.