WASHINGTON, D.C.—Democracy Defenders Fund and Public Citizen today demanded the resignation of Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick following growing controversies concerning his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prior fraud allegations raised in an FBI whistleblower complaint regarding financial misconduct at Cantor Fitzgerald and potential ethical violations since he has taken office.

In a letter released today, the organizations outline Lutnick’s inconsistent statements about his relationship with Epstein, including statements made under oath before a Senate subcommittee, allegations of financial misconduct during his time in the private sector, and a series of apparent ethical violations while serving as commerce secretary.

“Howard Lutnick cannot be trusted. He appears to have lied about his relationship with a child predator and faces serious allegations both from his time in the private sector and as Commerce Secretary,” said Virginia Canter, chief counsel and director of ethics and anti-corruption at Democracy Defenders Fund. “Every day he continues to serve as a Cabinet member, the public’s trust in our government is further eroded. He must resign immediately.”

The demand follows the partial public release of documents from the Epstein files, which contradict Lutnick’s previous statements about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and raise new questions about his conduct in the private sector and public office. Newly released documents show Lutnick continued business dealings with Epstein years after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, contradicting Lutnick’s public claims that he cut ties with Epstein.

“Howard Lutnick appears to have failed to disclose significant conflicts of interest in the course of confirmation hearings that could taint his judgment and undermine his ability to perform official duties in the public interest,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., government ethics expert at Public Citizen. “As new personal and political scandals come to light and confidence in his tenure continues to plummet, it’s time for Lutnick to resign for the good of the American people.”

Since taking office, Lutnick has faced a series of complaints regarding ethical lapses, including encouraging people to buy Tesla stock and vote against a candidate in the New York mayor’s race. He has also been accused of promoting artificial intelligence data centers while his own children reportedly hold major financial interests in companies involved in the AI data center industry.

Read the full letter HERE. 

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national,

state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.

Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest in the halls of power.