UPDATE - Trump's commerce secretary acknowledges 2012 trip to Epstein’s island

​​​​​​​ADDS WHITE HOUSE COMMENT IN GRAF 10

​​​​​​​By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged Tuesday visiting late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's now-notorious island, but denied any wrongdoing.

Lutnick, whose name appears in government records related to Epstein that the Justice Department released last month, repeatedly sought to downplay his connections with the disgraced financier during questioning by lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee, saying, "I barely had anything to do with that person."

He acknowledged, however, visiting Epstein's private Caribbean island under questioning by Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, saying he was at the lavish estate with his family in 2012, but said he could not recall why the trip took place.

"I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my four children and nannies," Lutnick said.

"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. And then we left with all of my children, with my nannies and my wife, all together. We were on a family vacation. We were not apart. To suggest there was anything untoward about that in 2012 ... I don't recall why we did it, but we did," he added.

The visit would have come four years after Epstein pleaded guilty in state court in Florida to procuring a minor for prostitution, a controversial agreement that critics have dubbed a “sweetheart deal.”

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on separate federal sex trafficking charges. His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite to procure young girls for sex work.

The Justice Department released more than 3 million additional government documents related to Epstein in late January, about half of the total the agency has acknowledged is in its possession.

The case files include the names of numerous high-profile figures, among them Lutnick, the former British prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton, US President Donald Trump, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, singer Michael Jackson and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Asked about the controversy, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Lutnick "remains a very important member of President Trump's team, and the president fully supports the secretary."