Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick attends a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Judiciary, Science, and Related Agencies to consider reviewing funding for broadband deployment at the Department of Commerce on February 10, 2026, at the Capitol in Washington.
Elizabeth Franz | Reuters
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has voluntarily agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Republican Representative James Comer of Kentucky announced Tuesday.
Comer, the Oversight Committee chair, said in an X post confirming Axios’ earlier report that he “applauds his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciates his willingness to engage with the committee.” “We look forward to his testimony.”
Mr. Lutnick has not been accused of wrongdoing, but bipartisan pressure has nonetheless mounted to explain recently emerged connections between him and his former neighbor Mr. Epstein.
In Senate testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee last month, Lutnick admitted to visiting Epstein’s infamous private island in 2012 with his family and nanny — years after he previously claimed he had lost contact with the late money manager.
On Friday, Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) called the Cabinet Secretariat for questioning from the House of Commons Oversight Committee in response to a photo that appeared to show Mr. Lutnick standing next to Mr. Epstein.
The photo surfaced as part of the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein-related files, but was reportedly removed from the department’s website before being reposted.
Mace, a member of the oversight committee, said on the X Post Tuesday afternoon that he intends to subpoena Lutnick to appear before the committee on Wednesday.
“He has questions to answer about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Mace said in the post, which included a photo of the two and the text of an email indicating Lutnick’s planned visit to Epstein’s island.
Mace followed up on X and thanked Lutnick for agreeing to testify.
“I look forward to appearing before the committee. I have done nothing wrong. I want to set the record straight,” Lutnick told Axios.
The White House told CNBC in a statement that Lutnick “remains a key asset” to President Donald Trump and “has played a critical role in securing major trade and investment agreements.”
“The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick, remains focused on delivering more wins for the American people,” White House Press Secretary Khush Desai said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear when Lutnick would appear before the committee. Axios reported that interviews will be held privately in the coming weeks.
Interviews conducted privately can be shared publicly later. Videos of congressional interviews with former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and retail mogul Leslie Wexner were later released in full.
The Commerce Department and the Democratic minority on the Oversight Committee did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment on Lutnick’s upcoming testimony.
