Families of some of the victims murdered in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks sent Howard Lutnick a letter pressing him to help extradite a Saudi Arabian national potentially involved in the terrorist operation as the commerce secretary prepares to take part in economic talks with the kingdom, The New York Times reported on Sunday.
The letter, which has more than 150 signatories, comes as Lutnick plans to be part of President Donald Trump's delegation to Saudi Arabia as part of his trip this week to the Middle East.
The families represent the hundreds of employees at Lutnick's bond trading company, Cantor Fitzgerald, who died in the attack. They cited in their letter recently unsealed evidence showing that Saudi intelligence agent Omar al-Bayoumi had ties to the terrorists who carried out Sept. 11.
The offices of Cantor Fitzgerald spanned the 101st to the 105th floors of the World Trade Center's North Tower. The firm lost more employees than any other affected by the attacks, including Lutnick's brother.
The families urged Lutnick to ensure that Bayoumi be brought to justice in any talks about strengthening American economic partnership with the Saudis, writing that Lutnick's appointment "gives us renewed hope" to determine the full truth about the attacks and who was responsible, the Times reported.
"You are in a unique position to emphasize that any such partnership must begin with accountability and justice, ensuring that Omar al-Bayoumi is handed over to the United States to face justice in an American court," read the letter. "This issue transcends politics; it is a matter of principle. It is about honoring the lives we lost, and whether the country that sent them to their tragic deaths will ever be held accountable."
Lutnick, who was serving as the firm's chief executive at the time of the attack, lost 658 employees, including his best friend. In a post last year, Lutnick recounted how he was dropping his son off for his first day of kindergarten when his phone kept ringing and disconnecting as his brother, Gary, attempted to call to say goodbye.