Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledges meetings with Epstein that contradict previous claims

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by By STEPHEN GROVESFebruary 10, 2026 at 06:23 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted to meeting with Jeffrey Epstein twice after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a child. This acknowledgment, made during a Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, contradicts Lutnick's previous statements that he had severed ties with Epstein after 2005. Lutnick downplayed the relationship, describing it as a few emails and two meetings. Democrats questioned Lutnick about his connections to the disgraced financier, who was once his neighbor in New York City. The hearing took place in Washington, D.C. and focused on Lutnick's relationship with Epstein.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Alex Brandon 30% Mark Schiefelbein 30% Jose Luis Magana 30% Allison 30% Senate Appropriations Committee 40% White House 40% New York City 40% Donald Trump ×250% Democrats ×260% Washington ×260% Jeffrey Epstein 70% Howard Lutnick ×790%

Keywords

jeffrey epstein 100% howard lutnick 100% meetings 80% contradictory statements 70% commerce secretary 70% senate appropriations committee 60% soliciting prostitution 60% relationship 50% democrats 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

Associated Press (AP)

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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jeffrey epstein howard lutnick meetings contradictory statements commerce secretary senate appropriations committee soliciting prostitution relationship democrats

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