Revealed: US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick Visited Epstein’s Island, Set to Testify
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has formally agreed to testify before a congressional panel in relation to the investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking scandal. The decision was announced by James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, on Tuesday local time.
Lutnick, known as the architect of the Trump administration’s global tariff policy, is scheduled to participate in a transcribed interview as part of the committee’s intensive inquiry. The move follows a series of documents released by the US Department of Justice that reveal Lutnick’s connections to Epstein longer than he previously admitted.
Earlier, Lutnick told Congress that he had ended his relationship with Epstein in 2005. However, newly released investigative documents show he visited Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean on 23 December 2012, years after Epstein’s sexual offences conviction.
In one email, Lutnick’s wife, Allison, wrote to Epstein’s assistant ahead of the visit: ‘We are looking forward to visiting you,’ and ‘We would very much like to join you for lunch.’ Although no criminal charges have been brought against Lutnick by Epstein’s victims, the revelation that he maintained contact after 2012 has sparked calls for his resignation from various quarters.
Lutnick’s willingness to testify comes just days after former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave testimony in the same probe. The Clintons asserted they had no prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and had severed ties before the 2008 conviction.
James Comer said he appreciated Lutnick’s cooperative stance in this process of transparency. ‘I commend his commitment to transparency and value his willingness to engage with the Committee,’ said the Republican from Kentucky.
In addition to Lutnick, the Oversight Committee has summoned seven other high-profile figures to provide testimony. Notable names on the subpoena list include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former Clinton aide Doug Band, and former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler.
The investigation is part of a major effort to disclose more than 3.5 million documents related to Epstein’s network mandated by law. At the time of writing, the exact date for Howard Lutnick’s testimony has not been released publicly.