US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will testify voluntarily before a congressional panel investigating the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, chairman James Comer announced on Tuesday.
Lutnick has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island in December 2012, years after Epstein’s 2005 conviction for sex crimes. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims. The visit was included in millions of documents recently released by the US Justice Department as part of its ongoing investigation.
The commerce secretary, known for shaping former President Trump’s global tariffs policy, had previously told Congress he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after the convicted pedophile made sexual innuendo about a massage table in his New York home. However, records reveal Lutnick and his wife Allison emailed Epstein’s assistant in December 2012 confirming plans for a visit and lunch.
The disclosure of the 2012 island trip sparked bipartisan calls for Lutnick’s resignation. No date has been set yet for his testimony. “I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee,” Comer said.
Lutnick joins a growing list of high-profile figures named in the Justice Department files, which total more than 3.5 million documents. The announcement follows depositions of former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who both testified that they had no prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Comer also called on seven additional individuals to give transcribed interviews, including Bill Gates, Clinton aide Doug Band, and former White House lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler.
The testimony aims to clarify the involvement of prominent public figures and ensure congressional oversight in the wake of Epstein’s documented connections with elite networks.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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