Lying about the "Epstein connection," calls for U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo's resignation are growing louder.

As more details are revealed in Department of Justice documents, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is facing increasing bipartisan pressure to resign amid allegations of concealing past connections with Jeffrey Epstein.

The situation escalated further on Monday. According to the Financial Times, California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff explicitly stated that Lutnick “lied to the American people” and said he “should not continue to serve as Secretary of Commerce.”

Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie told CNN that Lutnick “should resign” to “make the President’s days a little easier.” Democratic House Oversight Committee Chairman Robert Garcia emphasized, “Lutnick must resign or be removed from office.”

Lutnick previously insisted in an interview that he cut ties with Epstein after discovering his misconduct in 2005. However, documents released by the Department of Justice last month contradict this statement. Records cited indicate that the two maintained contact for many years afterward.

Email records show that in December 2012, Lutnick planned to have lunch on Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, in the Caribbean.

More critically, a stock purchase agreement from late 2012 shows that the two invested together through their respective entities in an advertising technology company called Adfin. Until 2018, they continued to exchange emails regarding neighborhood planning issues.

White House: Lutnick Will Continue to Serve the American People

In response to the allegations, the White House and the Department of Commerce have taken a defensive stance. White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated that the Trump administration assembled “the most transformative cabinet in modern history,” and that Lutnick will continue to focus on serving the American people.

The Department of Commerce, in a statement, dismissed calls for resignation as a “failed attempt by traditional media” aimed at diverting attention from the government’s economic achievements, including securing trillions of dollars in investments. The department insists that interactions between Lutnick and Epstein after 2005 were “very limited.” Additionally, Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell appeared briefly before the committee, exercising her Fifth Amendment rights; her lawyer hinted she would cooperate only if granted immunity.

As a key member of the Trump administration’s cabinet, Lutnick’s future directly impacts the stability of current government trade policies. While the White House currently maintains support, markets are beginning to worry whether this political scandal could disrupt the Department of Commerce’s daily operations and major economic agendas.

The involvement of the House Oversight Committee complicates the situation further. Committee Chairman, Republican James Comer, has not ruled out summoning Lutnick to testify and expressed interest in speaking with anyone who can provide information. This indicates that investigations into Lutnick’s past associations may enter substantive legal proceedings.

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