The controversy over the "Epstein files" has spread to a key Cabinet member in Trump's second administration. U.S. Commerce Minister Howard Lutnick acknowledged facts that contradict his earlier explanation that he cut ties with Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 during a closed-door, transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on the 5th local time. Epstein is an American billionaire financier who was convicted in 2008 on charges of sexually exploiting a minor and died while serving his sentence.
That day, major outlets reported, compiling accounts from multiple lawmakers, that Minister Lutnick acknowledged in the House interview that in 2012 he had a brief lunch with family and friends at a house on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. That is seven years after 2005, the point in time when Minister Lutnick had publicly said he ended the relationship. He ultimately failed to explain to lawmakers why he accepted the invitation. Democratic Rep. Yasmin Ansari said Lutnick himself described that decision as "inexplicable." Minister Lutnick has not been accused or indicted for participating in Epstein-related sex crimes, nor for any related illegal conduct.
The Epstein case effectively concluded in 2019 when he died in jail shortly after being arrested on additional charges of procuring for prostitution. But as lists of powerful figures who associated with him—from former President Bill Clinton to the United Kingdom's former Prince Andrew—were released one after another, it has remained an issue that could shake U.S. politics. Under the "Epstein Files Transparency Act," which Congress passed in Nov. last year, about 3.5 million pages of materials held by the Ministry of Justice have been released in stages. The reason Minister Lutnick appeared for the House interview that day is that the additional documents released on Jan. 30 this year revealed that he visited Epstein's island in 2012.
House members did not treat Minister Lutnick's 2012 visit as a one-off. Political outlet Axios, citing a person familiar with the closed-door Q&A, reported that Minister Lutnick told lawmakers he was an actual neighbor living in close proximity to Epstein from 2005 to 2019. Shortly after the Lutnicks became neighbors on 71st Street in an Upper East Side townhouse in Manhattan, New York, they toured Epstein's home for about 10–15 minutes over coffee, and he reportedly testified that he saw a massage table there that would later be cited as a symbol of Epstein's sexual exploitation crimes. Minister Lutnick also reportedly testified that in 2011 he met Epstein to discuss renovation issues at Epstein's Manhattan residence.
The session Minister Lutnick attended this time was a transcribed interview, not a deposition. He was not under oath, and there was no video recording. Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said of Minister Lutnick, "Most of the answers were evasive; he was nervous and not honest." Rep. Ansari suggested that if Democrats regain the House majority in the Nov. midterms, they will call Minister Lutnick back for a public hearing, or at least require him to testify again under oath and on video.
James Comer, the Republican chairperson of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, while agreeing to proceed without video recording, said, "We will release the full transcript so Americans can judge for themselves whether Minister Lutnick's credibility has been damaged." At the same time, he warned that if false statements to Congress emerge, they could be punished as felonies.
Minister Lutnick is a powerhouse on the economy in the Trump administration and serves as the president's right hand not only on the economy but across state affairs. If Minister Lutnick is called to a congressional hearing over the Epstein case, the political impact could be greater than for prior ministers. President Trump dismissed Homeland Security Minister Kristi Noem on Mar. 5 after she was embarrassed in a congressional hearing earlier this year. Minister of Justice Pam Bondi, whose handling of the Epstein files has continued to draw criticism, was also dismissed on Apr. 2 last month. For this reason, the moment the transcript confirms that Minister Lutnick gave answers that contradict his prior statements, observers say Trump's personnel ax could swing again. The committee has already called former Minister Bondi to a hearing on the 29th of this month. Chairperson Comer said, "The hearing for former Minister Bondi does not rule out the possibility of video recording."