Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins that newly reviewed Justice Department files reveal additional documented contact between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein, adding fuel to ongoing scrutiny over Lutnick’s past relationship with the disgraced financier.
The latest batch of Epstein-related documents appears to conflict with Lutnick’s prior statements that he distanced himself from Epstein following what he described as a troubling 2005 encounter when the two were neighbors.
Lutnick faced pointed questions during a Tuesday hearing about the discrepancy, including details surrounding a 2012 visit to Epstein’s private island with his wife and children — years after Epstein’s conviction on sex crimes.
On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, the anchor pressed Massie on whether he uncovered new information after returning to the Justice Department to review unredacted files.
Massie said he did find additional evidence of contact between the two men.
“Well, I saw that Lutnick shared his phone number with Epstein, and that their assistants were setting up phone calls between them,” Massie said. “So, there is at least that other connection.”
He clarified that he did not uncover additional names during his most recent visit and noted that time constraints limited how much he could review. Massie described the file review process as taking place in a room with four computers that is consistently busy, often with at least four members of Congress present.
Beyond the specific revelations about Lutnick, Massie raised broader concerns about the handling of the documents themselves. According to the Kentucky lawmaker, many of the files remain heavily redacted, even when lawmakers are told they are viewing unredacted versions.
“The main complaint that I hear, as we search through these files, is that when you unredact some of the files, you encounter more redactions,” Massie said. “And then when we ask the DOJ, Why are these files redacted? Why can’t we remove the redactions? The DOJ says, Well, that’s the form in which we received the files.”
Massie pointed to legislation he co-authored with Rep. Ro Khanna that directs the Attorney General to produce documents not only from the Department of Justice but also from the FBI and U.S. attorneys’ offices.
“The legislation that Ro Khanna and I wrote directs the Attorney General to produce the documents, but they have to give all the documents that are in the possession, not of the DOJ, but also of the FBI and also of the U.S. attorneys,” Massie explained.
He suggested that redactions may have occurred before documents reached the DOJ, raising questions about whether the original, less-redacted versions have been properly obtained.
Collins pressed Massie on the issue, noting that lawmakers were granted access to the room precisely so they could review what remains hidden from public view and determine whether redactions are justified.
“And yet, you’re saying even what you’re looking at, that is supposed to be unredacted, is still redacted. Right?” Collins asked.
“Correct,” Massie responded. “Sometimes, you remove the black redaction, and you see a white redaction. And sometimes, you try to remove the black redaction and it’s all completely redacted still. So, that’s a problem.”
As scrutiny intensifies over Lutnick’s past interactions with Epstein, Massie’s comments suggest that questions remain not only about those connections but also about how federal agencies are handling the release of sensitive documents.
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