US Commerce Secretary to Address Congress on Epstein Connections
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before a congressional panel investigating his connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Lutnick will voluntarily participate in a transcribed interview as part of the House Oversight Committee's ongoing investigation, according to committee chairman James Comer.
Lutnick has admitted to visiting Epstein's private island in 2012, several years after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes. However, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein's victims. This development follows recent testimonies from former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who both participated in the inquiry.
The commerce secretary, known for his role in shaping Trump's global tariffs policy, previously informed Congress that he severed ties with Epstein in 2005. This decision came after Epstein, who was Lutnick's neighbor in New York, made inappropriate comments regarding a massage table in his home. Despite this claim, Lutnick later confirmed visiting Epstein's island during a family vacation in the Caribbean.
The visit was documented in millions of files released by the US Justice Department as part of their investigations into Epstein. Lutnick is one of several high-profile individuals named in the more than 3.5 million documents made public by the Justice Department. The revelation of his visit to Epstein's island after claiming to have ended their association prompted bipartisan calls for Lutnick to resign from the Trump administration.
No specific date has been announced for Lutnick's testimony. Chairman Comer praised Lutnick's willingness to engage with the committee, highlighting his commitment to transparency. The Justice Department files indicate that Lutnick visited Epstein's Caribbean island on December 23, 2012. An email from Lutnick's wife, Allison, to Epstein's assistant expressed anticipation for the visit and a desire to join Epstein for lunch.
The planned testimony comes shortly after the Clintons' depositions, during which they denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and stated they had severed ties with him before his 2008 conviction in Florida. Neither Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein's victims, though Bill Clinton's inclusion in investigative files, including photographs, led to calls for their depositions.
Following the announcement of Lutnick's testimony, Comer also requested transcribed interviews with seven other individuals, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former Clinton aide Doug Band, and former White House lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler.