U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutenik Denies Ties to Epstein

Odaily News U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutenik attempted to distance himself from Epstein on Tuesday, claiming he had "virtually no interaction" with the convicted sex offender. This comes after new disclosures about their relationship sparked calls for his resignation. In January of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of new documents related to Epstein, including emails indicating that Rutenik had apparently visited Epstein's private island for lunch years after claiming to have severed ties with him. Rutenik refuted these claims during a Senate hearing, stating that they had exchanged only about 10 emails over a 14-year period, and that the lunch with Epstein occurred only because his boat was near Epstein's island at the time, adding that his family was also present. "I have no relationship with him. I had virtually no interaction with that person," he told the Senate committee in response to questioning from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. (Jin10)