U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will provide voluntary testimony before the House Oversight Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced on Tuesday that Lutnick had “proactively agreed to appear voluntarily” for a transcribed interview.
The development follows recent depositions from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who both testified about their associations with Epstein. While Lutnick has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012—years after Epstein’s conviction for sex crimes—the commerce secretary has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims.
Justice Department documents released earlier this month confirm Lutnick’s December 23, 2012 visit to Little St. James Island. Correspondence shows Lutnick’s wife, Allison, emailed Epstein’s assistant on the eve of their visit: “We are looking forward to visiting you” and “We would love to join you for lunch.”
Lutnick previously testified to Congress that he severed ties with Epstein in 2005 after the financier—then his New York neighbor—used sexual innuendo to explain why he kept a massage table in a room of his home. The commerce secretary, recognized as the architect of Trump’s global tariffs policy, maintains this position despite the documented 2012 visit.
No specific date has been announced for Lutnick’s testimony. Chairman Comer commended Lutnick’s “demonstrated commitment to transparency” and expressed appreciation for his willingness to cooperate with the committee’s investigation.