U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutenik Involved in Epstein Files, Faces Bipartisan Pressure to Resign

Odaily News U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutenik is facing calls to resign from both parties after appearing in the latest batch of documents related to Epstein. California Democratic Senator Schiff accused Rutenik on Monday in a statement of "lying" about the depth of his relationship with Epstein. Rutenik had previously attempted to downplay their relationship, stating last year that he had sworn in 2005 never to be in the same room as Epstein again. However, documents recently released by the Department of Justice show that Rutenik continued to have contact with Epstein thereafter. Schiff said: "Rutenik should resign immediately." Several Democrats, including Robert Garcia, the senior member of the House Oversight Committee, have also called for Rutenik to step down. James Comer, the Republican Chairman of the House Oversight Committee from Kentucky who is leading the Epstein investigation, has not ruled out the possibility of issuing a subpoena to Rutenik but stated that the committee will currently prioritize handling outstanding subpoenas.