The fallout from the three million documents released from the Justice Department as part of the Epstein files continues to embroil high-profile politicians and businessmen as more revelations are uncovered.
Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted to visiting Epstein’s Caribbean island in 2012 after claiming, four months ago, he had been so disgusted by the disgraced financier he had cut ties with him in 2005.
Documents had indicated Lutnick had a further-reaching relationship than he had previously suggested.
Additionally, the Justice Department is facing heat from lawmakers for supposedly improperly redacting the names of potential co-conspirators or officials named.
Here are the latest developments with the Epstein files.
Lutnick admits to visiting Epstein’s island
Lutnick admitted to visiting Epstein’s island in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his family in 2012 but emphatically denied any wrongdoing during an unrelated Senate hearing Tuesday morning.
“I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation,” Lutnick said after being questioned by Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies. I had another couple, they were there as well with their children and we had lunch on the island. That is true. For an hour. Then we left.”
The new revelation comes after reports contradicting a claim Lutnick made as recently as October, when he said he met Epstein once in 2005 but was so disgusted that he was “never in the room with him socially, for business or even philanthropy.”
However, documents in the Epstein files suggested Lutnick and Epstein scheduled to have drinks in May 2011, spoke various times over the phone beginning in 2009, and that Epstein donated $50,000 to a philanthropic dinner recognizing Lutnick in 2017.
Lutnick insisted Tuesday that nothing “untoward” occurred while he and his family were on the island and he did not witness anything other than staff tending to Epstein.
However, lawmakers have seized on the revelation to call for Lutnick to resign.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump still supports Lutnick, referring to the commerce secretary as a “very important member of Trump’s team.”
Lutnick has not been accused of any offenses and has denied any wrongdoing. Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not in itself imply any wrongdoing.
Trump reportedly thanked Florida police for investigating Epstein in 2006
Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter told FBI agents that Trump called the police department in July 2006 to thank them for investigating Epstein, claiming “everyone has known he’s been doing this.”
A transcript of a 2019 FBI interview with the now-former police chief, released in the Epstein files, indicates the president may have known about Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s activities with young women and girls prior to Epstein’s 2008 state conviction.
Trump recommended the police focus on “evil” Maxwell, Reiter told the FBI.
Reiter told the Miami Herald that the FBI interviewed him in October 2019 about his department’s investigation into Epstein. He said Trump called him in July 2006.
When asked, in July 2019, if he had any knowledge that Epstein molested underage women, Trump told reporters, “No, I had no idea. I had no idea.”
In July 2025, reporters asked Trump if he knew why Epstein had recruited female staffers from Mar-a-Lago. Trump responded, “No, I don’t know really why.”
Epstein paid Les Wexner $100 million after theft allegations
An internal Justice Department memo suggests attorneys for Les Wexner, the billionaire former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, told federal prosecutors Epstein repaid him $100 million for stealing or mishandling hundreds of millions of dollars.
The memo states Epstein was the primary financial adviser to Wexner beginning in the 1990s, amassing real estate, a private plane and other luxuries owned by Wexner or his businesses. However, after corporate lawyers took over Wexner’s finances, they reportedly discovered a significant amount of funds had been misappropriated.
To avoid drawing attention as Epstein was facing his first set of legal problems in Florida, Wexner agreed to a private settlement of $100 million. Wexner said he broke off relations with Epstein after that and had no subsequent contact with him. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Wexner.
Justice Department unredacts names from potential co-conspirator list
The Justice Department unredacted the names of people listed alongside Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, potential co-conspirators Monday evening, under pressure from two lawmakers.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna were among lawmakers who reviewed unredacted versions of the Epstein files at the Justice Department, and criticized officials for redacting the names of Wexner; Lesley Groff, Epstein’s executive assistant; and Karyna Shuliak, Epstein’s former girlfriend.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche why Wexner’s name was unredacted in the first place.
