According to media outlets such as the Financial Times and U.S. "Politico," on February 9, as the Epstein files saw a large-scale disclosure, U.S. current Commerce Secretary Steven Mnuchin found himself in a storm of public opinion, with growing calls from both the Democratic and Republican parties for him to resign.

The core of this controversy lies in Mnuchin being accused of "lying" regarding his involvement with the Epstein issue.

When interviewed by the New York Post last year, Mnuchin had "sworn" that he and his wife Allison had severed all ties with Epstein as early as 2005. At that time, the two were neighbors in Manhattan's Upper East Side. He said that after Epstein showed him a room equipped with a massage bed, he quickly cut off contact with Epstein.

He said on the show: "My wife and I decided that I would never be in the same room with that disgusting person again. Whether it was social, business, or charity events, if he was there, I wouldn't attend because he was so repulsive."

However, Mnuchin continued to maintain contact with Epstein after 2005. The two drank together, attended social events, and Mnuchin even planned to visit Epstein's private island in the Caribbean.

Newly disclosed documents show that in December 2012, Mnuchin had planned to visit Epstein's private island, Little Saint James, in the Caribbean and have lunch with him. A few days later, Epstein's assistant emailed Mnuchin with a message: "Nice to see you."

Moreover, the two were closely involved in business. A stock purchase agreement dated late 2012 shows that they had jointly invested in an ad tech company called AdFin Solutions through their respective entities. Until 2018, they still exchanged emails about neighborhood planning issues.

After this information was exposed, Democratic lawmakers quickly launched attacks, accusing Mnuchin of "lying to the American people" and demanding his resignation.

On social media, California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff stated on February 9, "Mnuchin lied about his interactions with a convicted child sex offender, which raises questions about his judgment and moral integrity. Mnuchin is not qualified to serve as Commerce Secretary and should immediately resign." Robert Garcia, a senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, also echoed, saying, "Mnuchin must resign or be fired."

Meanwhile, Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky told CNN in an interview on February 8 that "Mnuchin should resign." Massie said, "Mnuchin has many things to explain, but honestly, he'd better make the president's life easier and just resign."

James Comer, a Republican who is leading the investigation into the Epstein case and has already summoned several related individuals, is also in a dilemma. When questioned by the media, Comer said that he did not rule out the possibility of summoning Mnuchin, but the current subpoena processing work will take precedence.

"We are interested in talking to anyone who may have relevant information to help us seek justice for the survivors," he said.

Facing pressure, the White House did not give a direct response, but White House spokesperson Kuhs Dese issued a statement defending Mnuchin. He boasted, "President Trump assembled the most outstanding and transformative cabinet in modern history. The entire Trump administration, including Mnuchin and the Department of Commerce, has always focused on the benefit of the United States."

The U.S. Department of Commerce admitted the connection between the two, but tried to downplay the severity of the issue. Its statement said, "The Mnuchins met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited contact with him over the next 14 years." The statement also claimed that calls for Mnuchin to resign were "a failed attempt by mainstream media to divert public attention from the achievements of this administration."

Foreign media reports suggest that as a key member of Trump's cabinet, Mnuchin's fate directly affects the stability of the current government's trade policy. As of now, there is no sign that Mnuchin will resign, but this political scandal could interfere with the daily operations of the Department of Commerce and the advancement of major economic agendas.

This article is an exclusive article from the Observer, and it is not allowed to be reprinted without permission.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7605132567603380771/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.