Commerce Secretary Lutnick Faces House Questions Over Epstein Ties Amid Lies and Cover-Up

Howard Lutnick, the current U.S. Commerce Secretary and former neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein in New York City, will face a transcribed deposition with the House Oversight Committee this week. The closed-door session, scheduled for Wednesday, aims to probe Lutnick’s extensive ties to Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes and died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Lutnick agreed to the deposition in March but has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. Still, the timing and nature of his testimony come amid mounting evidence that he repeatedly misled the public and lawmakers about the extent of his relationship with Epstein.

Last year, Lutnick publicly claimed he severed all contact with Epstein in 2005, three years before Epstein’s guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor. “My wife and I decided that I will never be in the room again with that disgusting person,” Lutnick said in an interview at the time.

But in a stunning reversal earlier this year, Lutnick admitted during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that he and his family had lunch with Epstein on the financier’s private island in 2012—seven years after he claimed to have cut ties. He described the gathering as a “family vacation” that included his children and nannies.

The Justice Department’s recently released Epstein Files Transparency Act documents further complicate Lutnick’s narrative. His name appears in roughly 250 records, with emails and correspondence suggesting ongoing communication and even business dealings with Epstein well after 2005. For instance, a 2011 email from Epstein’s assistant notes “Howard Lutnick returned your call,” and another exchange appears to be from 2018.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), a member of the Oversight Committee, criticized the GOP-led panel for scheduling Lutnick’s deposition during a congressional district work period, when many lawmakers are absent. Ansari called Lutnick’s testimony “really important” due to his “decades-long relationship” with Epstein and accused him of having “lied about that relationship publicly and has been caught lying.”

Lutnick’s appearance is part of a broader congressional effort to hold powerful figures connected to Epstein accountable. Earlier this year, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before the committee. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is also slated to testify later this month.

In a related move, Democratic members of the Oversight Committee plan to hold a hearing in Palm Beach, Florida—one of Epstein’s key operation sites—on May 12. The session will provide a platform for survivors to share their stories and push for justice.

The Lutnick deposition underscores the persistent challenge of uncovering the full scope of Epstein’s network and the complicity of elites who shielded him for years. As more documents emerge and witnesses testify, the question remains: how deep does the cover-up go, and who else must be held accountable?