ISTANBUL

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick once planned a visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean, according to documents released Friday by the Department of Justice.

The records indicate that the trip took place in December 2012, several years after Lutnick said he cut ties with the disgraced sex offender.

At the time, Lutnick was a prominent billionaire businessman, the New York Times reported. He is now serving as commerce secretary under President Donald Trump.

Email correspondence included in the files shows Lutnick contacting Epstein, saying he was traveling in the Caribbean with a group that included his wife, children and another family. He asked where Epstein was staying and whether it would be possible to meet for a meal.

Epstein, responding through an assistant, provided details about Little St. James, his private island near St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The emails later refer to arrangements for a lunch gathering.

While several high-profile figures linked to Epstein have faced scrutiny for visits to Little St. James, Lutnick’s visit had not previously been publicly disclosed.

Lutnick said he could not comment on the documents when reached by phone Friday, adding that he had not reviewed the newly released files. “I spent zero time with him,” he said, before ending the call.

But the documents suggest the meeting did take place. The lunch was scheduled for Dec. 23, 2012. The following day, an assistant forwarded Lutnick a message from Epstein that read, “Nice seeing you.”

In a podcast interview last year, Lutnick said he and his wife decided around 2005 to stop associating with Epstein, describing him as “disgusting.”

He recalled leaving Epstein’s New York mansion after seeing a massage table in one of the rooms and said they resolved never to meet him again.

Despite the claims, the documents show continued overlap between their circles. In 2017, Epstein donated to a charity dinner honoring Lutnick. Emails from 2018 also suggest discussions between the two about opposing construction plans by The Frick Collection museum, located near their neighboring homes in New York.

The Justice Department has released more than 3 million pages from the Epstein investigation; the documents mention Trump, Elon Musk, former US President Bill Clinton and other high-profile figures.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008, but critics call the conviction a “sweetheart deal.”

His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein’s case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

US President Donald Trump, who has acknowledged a friendship with Epstein, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein’s extensive links to political, business and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.