Emergence of Epstein island photo leads to new calls for Lutnick to testify
Emergence of Epstein Island Photo Leads to New Calls for Lutnick to Testify
Following the brief disappearance of a photograph depicting Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick with Jeffrey Epstein on the late sex offender’s private island, lawmakers are demanding clarity. The image, part of the Justice Department’s online collection of Epstein-related documents uploaded under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, was temporarily taken offline. A version preserved by the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine on January 31, 2026, still shows the picture, sparking renewed scrutiny. The page was later reinstated, and a Justice Department spokesperson told CNN, “This image was part of a batch of files flagged for nudity. Thousands of images were pulled for review and are being uploaded with necessary redactions on a rolling basis. No files are being deleted.”
Congressional Reactions
Several members of Congress, including at least one Republican on the House Oversight Committee, are pushing for answers about the temporary removal. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican, tweeted, “Howard Lutnick should take questions from the Oversight committee.” On Friday, President Donald Trump added that Lutnick would testify before Congress regarding his ties to Epstein. “Howard would go in and say whatever he has to say,” Trump said to CNN’s Kristen Holmes. “He’s a very innocent guy, he’s doing a good job.”
“Howard would go in and say whatever he has to say,” Trump told CNN’s Kristen Holmes. “He’s a very innocent guy, he’s doing a good job.”
Lutnick’s connections to Epstein have also drawn bipartisan criticism. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu called the initial removal a sign the Justice Department is part of “the stupidest cover up in history.” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, emphasized the need for transparency. “I’m sure there’s a good reason for this. DOJ needs to tell Congress who pulled this file down so we can ask them,” Massie said.
Testimony Details
Earlier this month, Lutnick testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. During that session, he confirmed visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island, Little Saint James, in 2012. “I did have lunch with him, as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation,” Lutnick stated. “My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies. We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour, and we left with all of my children and my wife.”
“We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour, and we left with all of my children with my nannies and my wife… I don’t recall why we did it.”
Despite this admission, Lutnick denied having deeper ties with Epstein, who met him during their time living in neighboring houses in New York. “Of these millions and millions of documents, I believe there’s no evidence of anything more than a casual relationship,” he said. However, communications released by the Justice Department recently contradicted his earlier claims of cutting ties with Epstein in 2005, before the latter was investigated for and convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor.
