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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is entering one of the most politically sensitive interviews of the Epstein files investigation, as House Oversight lawmakers prepare to question him about contacts with Jeffrey Epstein that appear to stretch beyond the timeline Lutnick once offered publicly.
The House Oversight Committee announced in March that Lutnick had agreed to appear voluntarily for a transcribed interview as part of its investigation into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes.
Chairman James Comer praised Lutnick’s willingness to cooperate, saying he looked forward to the testimony. Axios later reported that the interview was scheduled for May 6.
The Island Visit At The Center Of The Fight
The central question is not whether Lutnick has been accused of criminal conduct. He has not. The issue facing him is credibility.
Lutnick had previously said he cut ties with Epstein after a disturbing 2005 visit to Epstein’s New York townhouse. But under questioning in February, he acknowledged meeting Epstein twice after Epstein’s 2008 conviction: once at Epstein’s home in 2011 and again for lunch on Epstein’s private island, Little St. James, in 2012.
CBS News reported that emails released in the Epstein files showed Lutnick, his wife Allison, and their children planned a visit to Little St. James in December 2012.
During earlier congressional testimony, Lutnick described the island visit as brief and family-oriented. According to CBS, he said the group had lunch for about an hour, then left with his wife, children and nannies.
Released Files Raised The Stakes
The confrontation comes after the Justice Department published more than 3 million additional pages of Epstein-related material in January, bringing its total production to nearly 3.5 million pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The department said the release included more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.
That law, signed by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025, requires the attorney general to release DOJ documents and records related to Epstein.
Bipartisan Pressure, White House Support
Lutnick’s problem has crossed party lines. AP reported that Sen. Chris Van Hollen told Lutnick there was no indication he personally engaged in wrongdoing with Epstein, but said the concern was whether Lutnick misled the public and Congress.
Republican senators also voiced concern, with Roger Wicker saying the island visit “would raise questions” and Thom Tillis saying Lutnick should explain exactly what happened.
The White House has stood by him. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Lutnick remains an important member of Trump’s team and that the president supports him.
What Lawmakers Want To Know
For investigators, the key timeline now runs from Lutnick’s claimed 2005 break with Epstein to the documented contacts afterward: the 2011 meeting, the 2012 island lunch, the Adfin connection, and later emails.
Scripps News reported that Lutnick’s House appearance will be transcript-only, with no video released, a format that has already drawn attention because other Epstein-related interviews were handled differently.
Lutnick says he did nothing wrong. Congress now wants to know whether he told the whole story.
