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WASHINGTON — U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing intensifying bipartisan pressure to testify before the House Oversight Committee following new revelations regarding his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The calls for a subpoena grew louder on Friday as lawmakers cited “misrepresentations” in the Secretary’s previous statements about the extent of his relationship with the disgraced financier.
The controversy centers on a shifting timeline provided by Lutnick. During a podcast interview last year, the former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO claimed he had severed all contact with Epstein in 2005 after a tour of Epstein’s Manhattan home left him “disgusted.” However, recently unsealed Department of Justice files, known as the “Epstein Library”, contradict this account, showing engagements as late as 2012.
Discrepancies in Testimony
Under questioning during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing earlier this month, Lutnick admitted that he and his family, including his children and nannies, had lunch with Epstein on his private Caribbean island in 2012, four years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Lutnick defended the visit as a brief stop during a family vacation, stating he had “nothing to hide.” Despite this, internal documents show an Epstein associate sent the resume of Lutnick’s nanny to Epstein in 2013, raising further questions for investigators.
Bipartisan Calls for Accountability
While many Republicans have remained silent, some have joined Democratic calls for transparency. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) stated Friday that Lutnick “should take questions” from the Oversight Committee, while Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) expressed confidence that the committee now has the votes to issue a formal subpoena.
“The American people deserve a full accounting from every public official whose statements on this matter have proven incomplete,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in a joint letter with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
White House Response
President Donald Trump defended his Commerce Secretary on Friday, describing him as a “very innocent guy” who is “doing a great job.” The President indicated that Lutnick would comply with a subpoena if one were issued, though he expressed regret over the “politicized” nature of the ongoing Epstein investigations.
The push to compel Lutnick’s testimony comes as the committee also deposed former President Bill Clinton on Friday. Lawmakers are increasingly framing these testimonies as the “Clinton Rule”, an emerging precedent that no high-profile figure, regardless of status, is immune from congressional inquiry regarding the Epstein scandal.