Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, will sit for a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee on ties to Jeffrey Epstein, marking another Trump cabinet official to face questioning about the late financier and convicted sex offender.
The closed-door session comes after Lutnick acknowledged visiting Epstein's private island in 2012 with family members, a revelation that directly contradicted his previous assertion that he had ended his relationship with Epstein in 2005. The discrepancy raised questions about the true timeline and extent of their connection.
In March, the Department of Justice briefly took down an undated photograph showing Lutnick and Epstein together on an island before restoring it. CBS News separately reported that Lutnick and Epstein had been in business together as recently as 2014, further undermining the 2005 cutoff date Lutnick had cited.
Lutnick resisted voluntary cooperation initially. He only agreed to testify after Democrats on the committee publicly announced they had the votes to subpoena him. Representative Ro Khanna of California told reporters the committee had sufficient support to compel his appearance.
The breakthrough required bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Republican representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina openly called for Lutnick's testimony, and James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the Oversight Committee, said he had proactively agreed to the interview. In a statement, Comer praised Lutnick's cooperation, saying he commended "his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee."
The core focus of the interview will likely center on when Lutnick's ties to Epstein actually ended. Committee members are expected to press for clarity on the dates and nature of their business dealings. It remains unclear how many lawmakers will participate in the questioning.
Mace has separately complained about scheduling challenges for Epstein-related witness interviews. She told Politico that some sessions are deliberately set when Congress is not in session and members are traveling, making it harder for lawmakers to participate. "They're making it the most inconvenient for members of Congress to participate, and that is done on purpose," she said.
Author James Rodriguez: "Lutnick's shifting story about when he cut ties with Epstein raises real questions about what else the cabinet official may not be disclosing."
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