Top GOP Lawmaker Calls Out Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s Epstein Testimony as Dishonest

Howard Lutnick, the U.S. commerce secretary, faced a firestorm after his recent closed-door testimony before the House oversight committee regarding his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats slammed Lutnick’s performance as “embarrassing” and accused him of being a “pathological liar” covering up one of the most egregious scandals in recent American history.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a progressive Democrat from California, did not mince words: “If Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnick.” Khanna and other lawmakers pointed to glaring inconsistencies between Lutnick’s previous public statements and the newly surfaced Department of Justice case files.

Lutnick had long claimed on podcasts and public forums that he severed all ties with Epstein after 2005. However, DOJ documents reveal that Lutnick attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s residence and even had lunch with Epstein on his private island in 2012—four years after Epstein served 13 months for procuring a minor for prostitution.

During his Senate appropriations committee testimony on February 10, Lutnick admitted to the 2012 lunch but downplayed its significance, calling his encounters with Epstein “meaningless and inconsequential.” When pressed by Democrats, Lutnick said he “could remember nothing about the visit to the island,” including why he was there or what he saw.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia highlighted Lutnick’s evasiveness, noting the commerce secretary’s inability to recall any details about the island visit. Meanwhile, Rep. Yassamin Ansari bluntly labeled Lutnick a “pathological liar” who is facilitating a cover-up of epic proportions.

Adding fuel to the fire, James Comer, the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, acknowledged that Lutnick had not been “100% truthful” in the past about his visits to Epstein’s private island. Yet Comer also claimed that Lutnick has been “very forthcoming” about his three known interactions with Epstein over a decade.

This episode is more than just a credibility crisis for Lutnick. It underscores the broader problem of powerful figures evading accountability for their connections to Epstein, a man whose network of abuse implicated numerous elites. Lutnick’s refusal to provide clear answers or take responsibility fits a pattern of obfuscation and denial that protects the powerful at the expense of victims and the public’s right to know.

For an administration already plagued by corruption and cover-ups, Lutnick’s testimony adds another layer of distrust and raises urgent questions about who else might be hiding inconvenient truths about Epstein’s reach.

We will continue monitoring developments as the House oversight committee pushes for full transparency and accountability in this ongoing saga.