Lunchtime calls for the resignation of U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick grow louder after lies about "Epstein connection".

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As more details are revealed in Justice Department documents, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing mounting bipartisan pressure to resign over allegations that he concealed past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

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

Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie told CNN bluntly that Lutnick "should resign" to "make the president's days easier." Robert Garcia, a leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, further stressed: "Lutnick must resign or be removed."

In a previous interview, Lutnick insisted he broke off contact with Epstein after discovering Epstein’s misconduct in 2005. However, Justice Department documents released last month contradict this claim. According to cited records, the two remained in contact for years thereafter.

Email records show that in December 2012, Lutnick had plans to visit Epstein’s private Caribbean island, Little Saint James, for lunch.

More critically, a stock purchase agreement from late 2012 indicates the two jointly invested in an ad tech company called Adfin through their respective entities. They continued to exchange emails about neighborhood planning issues as late as 2018.

White House: Lutnick will continue to serve the American people

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

The Commerce Department, in a statement, dismissed calls for resignation as a "failed attempt by traditional media," aimed at diverting attention from the government’s economic achievements such as securing trillions of dollars in investment. The Commerce Department insists that the interactions between Lutnick and Epstein after 2005 were "very limited." Additionally, Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell exercised her Fifth Amendment rights during her brief appearance before the committee; her lawyer suggested she would only cooperate with the investigation if granted a pardon.

As a key member of Trump's cabinet, Lutnick's fate directly affects the stability of current government trade policy. Although the White House still expresses support, the market has begun to worry whether this political scandal will disrupt the Commerce Department's daily functions and major economic agenda.

The intervention of the House Oversight Committee complicates the situation further. Committee Chair, Republican James Comer, has not ruled out the possibility of subpoenaing Lutnick to testify, saying he is interested in speaking with anyone who can provide information. This suggests that the investigation into Lutnick’s past connections may enter a substantive legal process.

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