U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before a House Oversight Committee panel investigating the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to committee chairman James Comer.
Comer said Lutnick “has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily” for a transcribed interview as part of the ongoing congressional inquiry.
The commerce secretary has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012, years after Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes, though Lutnick has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims.
Lutnick previously told Congress he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after becoming uncomfortable with comments the financier made during a visit to his New York home. However, documents released by the U.S. Justice Department earlier this month showed Lutnick visited Epstein’s island on December 23, 2012 while on a family vacation.
“I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee,” Comer said in announcing the planned testimony.
The interview follows recent depositions by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who both told investigators they had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and had ended contact with him before his 2008 conviction.
Comer also said the committee is seeking testimony from several other figures named in newly released investigative records, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Clinton adviser Doug Band and former White House lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler.
