Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to voluntarily appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s network and connections to influential figures in politics and finance.
No date has been announced for the interview.
The appearance will place Lutnick directly before congressional investigators examining newly released materials tied to the late convicted sex offender.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) confirmed Lutnick’s cooperation.
“I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee,” Comer said.
“I look forward to his testimony.”
Lutnick said he intends to address the matter directly.
“I look forward to appearing before the committee,” Lutnick said.
“I have done nothing wrong, and I want to set the record straight.”
Emails Show Previously Undisclosed Contact With Epstein
The request for testimony follows the release of documents by the Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
According to the files, Lutnick had more interactions with Epstein than were previously known.
Epstein had been Lutnick’s neighbor, and emails from 2012 show the two discussing a potential boat trip to Epstein’s private island.
Additional documents appear to show Lutnick and Epstein involved in discussions about inviting the convicted pedophile to a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in 2015.
During a Senate hearing last month, Lutnick acknowledged visiting Epstein’s island in 2012 but denied any wrongdoing.
According to NBC News, he also confirmed he took the boat trip referenced in the emails.
“My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies,” Lutnick said.
“I had another couple with, they were there, as well, with their children, and we had lunch on the island — that is true — for an hour.”
Lutnick Says He Found Epstein ‘Disgusting’
Lutnick has previously described his view of Epstein in blunt terms.
In an October interview with the New York Post, Lutnick said he believed Epstein was “disgusting.”
He recalled a 2005 encounter at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in which Epstein made what he described as an inappropriate remark while Lutnick and his wife were visiting.
According to Lutnick, nothing further occurred during the visit.
“So I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy,” Lutnick said.
“That guy was there, I wasn’t going ’cause he is gross.”
The Commerce Department has issued a similar statement, saying Lutnick’s interactions with Epstein were limited.
According to the department, Lutnick “had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
Oversight Committee Expanding Epstein Investigation
Lutnick is one of several individuals House investigators have asked to provide testimony.
Chairman Comer has also requested transcribed interviews from seven individuals connected to the Epstein files.
Those requests include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former Obama White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler.
Both figures have come under renewed scrutiny after their names appeared in documents released by the Department of Justice.
The committee has already conducted a deposition with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to reports, Clinton told investigators she became acquainted with Lutnick after his financial firm lost hundreds of employees in the September 11 terrorist attacks, but said she had never met Epstein.
Interviews Requested Voluntarily
Notably, the committee has not issued subpoenas for the interviews.
All requests have been made on a voluntary basis.
That approach allows witnesses to appear without a legal battle over subpoenas while placing the decision publicly on those asked to testify.
The investigation into Epstein’s network continues to draw bipartisan interest as more documents tied to the convicted sex offender are released.
Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act after mounting public pressure to reveal additional information about Epstein’s connections to powerful figures across business, politics, and finance.
Lutnick’s testimony will now be part of the Oversight Committee’s effort to examine those relationships more closely.
READ MORE – FBI Computer System Hacked, Millions of Epstein Files Wiped
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