New Epstein Document Dump Reveals Commerce Secretary Lutnick's Island Lunch, Contradicting Past Claims
By Brad Heath, Andrew Goudsward and Julia Harte
WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Friday concluded a court-ordered transparency initiative, releasing a final trove of millions of pages from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The documents cast new light on the interactions between the convicted sex offender and powerful figures, most notably revealing that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appears to have maintained contact with Epstein years after claiming to have cut him off.
The release, mandated by a bipartisan congressional act passed in November over the objections of the Trump administration, includes over three million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the move marks the end of the scheduled disclosures, though the process has been mired in controversy over redactions and withheld materials.
"This concludes our planned releases under the law," Blanche stated at a press conference. "The files contain extensive redactions to protect victim identities and ongoing investigative matters."
The documents have long been a political flashpoint. Former President Donald Trump, who was once friendly with Epstein before a falling out, resisted their release for months. While Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case, the scandal has persisted as a backdrop to the 2024 election cycle, partly due to his own campaign trail promises regarding transparency.
Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, a death ruled a suicide that continues to fuel conspiracy theories.
Lutnick's Contradictory Trail
Among the most revealing finds are emails detailing a planned December 2012 lunch on Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little Saint James, involving then-financier Howard Lutnick. On the morning of December 23, Lutnick's wife emailed Epstein's secretary, writing, "we are heading towards you from St. Thomas" and inquiring about where to anchor their vessel.
The following day, an assistant to Epstein sent a follow-up note to Lutnick on Epstein's behalf, which read in part, "Nice seeing you." The exchange directly contradicts Lutnick's assertion on a podcast last year that he vowed to "never be in a room" with Epstein after an inappropriate encounter around 2005.
The files also show Lutnick, in November 2015, was sent an invitation to a Hillary Clinton fundraiser hosted at his firm, forwarded by Epstein's longtime assistant. The Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the newly revealed communications.
Celebrity and Political Figures in the Mix
The document cache includes a scattering of communications mentioning other high-profile individuals. An email from 2012 shows billionaire Elon Musk declining an invitation to Epstein's island, citing a search for something opposite a "peaceful island experience" and asking if Epstein had "any parties planned." Epstein's reply suggested "the ratio on my island" might make Musk's female companion uncomfortable.
Other files contain previously reported messages, including a 2002 email from Melania Trump to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell commenting on a magazine profile, and a redacted 2012 message speculating about visiting Trump's Mar-a-Lago club "instead of his island." The Justice Department included a statement emphasizing that many allegations within the documents, particularly those against Trump submitted just before the 2020 election, are "unfounded and false."
Release Draws Criticism Over Secrecy
Despite the volume of material, the process has drawn fire from Democratic leaders. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer questioned the administration's completeness, noting the Justice Department identified six million potentially relevant pages but released only 3.5 million. Blanche cited legal privileges for withholding some files, a justification some lawmakers argue contravenes the intent of the disclosure law.
The release ensures the Epstein case, and the web of powerful connections it revealed, will remain a subject of public and political debate for the foreseeable future.
Voices from the Public
Sarah Chen, Political Analyst, D.C. Think Tank: "This isn't about one lunch. It's about a pattern of access and a failure of accountability. The documents show how Epstein operated in the shadows of power, and the new details demand explanations from those involved."
Mark Reynolds, Small Business Owner, Ohio: "It feels like we get these document dumps, see a few big names, and then nothing changes. What matters is justice for the victims. All this political noise just drowns that out."
James Kowalski, Attorney & Commentator: "The sheer scale of redactions and withheld files makes a mockery of the 'full disclosure' Congress mandated. This is a calculated whitewash. If Lutnick lied about his contact, it's a profound breach of public trust, and he should resign immediately."
Dr. Priya Mehta, Sociology Professor: "Each release reinforces how elite networks can insulate individuals from scrutiny. The public is left to piece together a narrative from heavily censored documents, which erodes faith in institutions meant to provide transparency."
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward and Brad Heath; Additional reporting by Julia Harte, Jason Lange, Richard Cowan, Jonathan Stempel, Susan Heavey, Ryan Jones and Katharine Jackson; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Alistair Bell)