Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged the meetings with Epstein, contradicting earlier claims.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under questioning from Democrats on Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged that he met with Jeffrey Epstein twice after he was convicted of child prostitution in 2008, reversing Lutnick’s earlier claims that he had broken up with the financier.

Lutnick again downplayed his ties to the disgraced financier who was once his neighbor in New York City as he was questioned by Democrats during a Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee hearing. He described their contact as a handful of emails and a couple of meetings years apart.

“I had no relationship with him. I had no relationship with him,” Lutnick told lawmakers.

But Lutnick is facing mounting scrutiny, including calls for his resignation from lawmakers, case files on Epstein, after Lutnick contradicted claims in a podcast last year that he had decided to “never stay in the room” after Epstein’s 2005 visit.

The Commerce Secretary told senators on Tuesday that he and his family actually dined with Epstein on his private island in 2012 and had another hour-long engagement at Epstein’s home in 2011. Lutnick, a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, is the highest-profile US official to face bipartisan calls for his resignation. His acknowledgment comes as lawmakers grapple with what accountability looks like amid the revelations known as the Epstein files.

In countries like the United Kingdom, the Epstein files have prompted resignations and the stripping of royal privileges, but so far, US officials have not met with the same level of retaliation.

Senators want to investigate Lutnick’s relationship with Epstein

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who questioned Lutnick, told him, “There is no indication that you yourself are involved in any wrongdoing with Jeffrey Epstein. It is the fact that you believe you have misled the country and Congress based on your previous statements.”

Van Hollen, D-Md. On Monday stopped short of calling for Lutnick’s resignation, but requested documents from Lutnick on any relationship with Epstein.

“It’s absolutely imperative that he provide those documents to Congress, given the misrepresentations he made, and then we go from there,” he said.

Lutnick said during the Senate hearing that he would give the request some thought, saying, “I have nothing to hide.”

However, many Senate Republicans were also questioning Lutnick’s relationship with Epstein. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said Epstein’s visit to the private island “will raise questions.” And Sen. Thom Tillis, RNC., told reporters, “It’s something I’m concerned about.”

Tillis stopped short of calling for Lutnick to step down, but added that “he would serve himself by simply laying out what did and did not happen in what appears to be an interesting relationship involving business disputes.”

A couple of members of the House have demanded their resignations

Meanwhile, House members who launched a legislative effort to force the release of the files are calling for Lutnick to resign. Rep. Thomas Massey, Republican of Kentucky, called for that after the release of emails over the weekend indicating a meeting between Lutnick and Epstein.

California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna joined Masi on Monday in pushing for Lutnik’s ouster from office.

“Based on the evidence, he should be out of the cabinet,” said Khanna.

He added, “It’s not about any particular person. We have to make a decision in this country. Are we going to allow rich and powerful people who are friends and (have no problem) doing business and appearing with pedophiles who rape underage girls, are we going to allow them to skate?”