Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified that he didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein was a registered sex offender and recounted a crude remark.
A senior Trump administration official insisted he had “little” knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal status for years, even as new testimony and records continue to keep pressure on U.S. accountability efforts tied to Epstein.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the House Oversight Committee he was unaware for years that his next-door neighbor was a registered sex offender. according to a transcript of testimony released this week.. In the same closed-door session on May 6. he also described a brief exchange with Epstein that he said he found inappropriate enough to end any possibility of further contact.
Lutnick recounted that Epstein made a “crude” remark about getting “the right kind of massage.” He said he spoke with Epstein directly and. with his wife standing beside him. the two recognized what was happening before they left.. The account became a focal point in a wider dispute over how Lutnick has described his history with Epstein. and how lawmakers interpret those descriptions.
Democrats on the committee accused Lutnick of being evasive, arguing his answers shifted over time and calling his explanations misleading.. They also raised sharp criticism of his word choices. saying he “made a farce of the English language” in order to mislead the public. and they demanded he resign.
Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, rejected that framing.. Comer said Democrats were “twisting” Lutnick’s statements and that the questions were aimed at advancing a political “narrative” intended to damage President Trump rather than pursuing accountability for failures to prosecute Epstein years earlier.
The testimony arrives amid continuing scrutiny connected to the so-called Epstein files. a collection of records that has implicated a wide range of prominent figures and triggered further hearings.. Lutnick was the latest high-profile witness after his name and photo appeared in more than 3 million pages of materials.
The records also show a business relationship that complicates Lutnick’s depiction of limited contact.. The files revealed that Epstein and Lutnick were in business together as recently as 2014. investing simultaneously in a now-shuttered advertising company called Adfin.. Lutnick told committee members during his deposition that he did not know Epstein was also an early investor in the company.
In addition, Lutnick’s account of the timeline of his relationship with Epstein has evolved as new information emerged.. For years, he insisted he had little relationship with Epstein, who lived next door in New York City.. More recently, he acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island with his family in 2012 after documentation of that trip became public.
Lutnick, his wife, Allison, and their children visited Little St. James, Epstein’s Caribbean island, not long before Epstein and Lutnick invested in Adfin. The files include an undated image showing Epstein and Lutnick among a group of men on the island.
Lutnick also gave the committee details about how he came to live near Epstein.. He said he purchased property next to Epstein’s home on New York’s Upper East Side in 1997. but did not move in until after renovations were complete in 2005.. He told lawmakers he met Epstein only three times, describing those interactions as limited—except for the island visit.
During a 2005 visit, Lutnick said he and his wife participated in a coffee and tour of Epstein’s townhouse.. He said he was “turned off” by a crude remark connected to a massage table inside the home and concluded he did not want a relationship with Epstein.. He also described one other meeting involving a discussion about Epstein’s foyer.
Lutnick previously said he cut ties with Epstein in 2005. three years before Epstein entered a guilty plea to state prostitution charges in Florida.. Lutnick’s testimony to the Oversight Committee reflects the continuing tension between those earlier statements and the later acknowledgment of additional contact surfaced through the broader record.
His current role has also amplified the political stakes of the hearing. As commerce secretary, Lutnick’s testimony places the executive branch in the center of an investigation that has repeatedly asked how powerful individuals responded—or failed to respond—when warning signs were present.
The committee’s inquiry has already drawn other prominent witnesses who have denied any wrongdoing and any knowledge of Epstein’s abuses.. Among those who testified were the executors of Epstein’s estate. former President Bill Clinton. former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. and billionaire businessman Les Wexner.. Their names and involvement were connected to the same body of records. though they have not been accused of misconduct and have denied knowledge of the abuse.
Looking ahead, former Attorney General Pam Bondi has agreed to testify before the panel later this month, signaling that the Oversight Committee intends to continue broadening the scope of testimony as more details from the Epstein files circulate.
Howard Lutnick Epstein House Oversight Committee commerce secretary testimony Epstein files U.S. politics Jeffrey Epstein hearings
so his neighbor was epstein and he had no idea lol ok sure
Wait so he literally lived next door to this guy for YEARS and never once googled him or anything?? I google every single person who moves onto my street that just seems like basic common sense to me. Something about this whole story does not add up and I dont think hes being fully honest here.
This is exactly why I keep saying the government registers these people and nobody even checks the list. Like whats the point of having a sex offender registry if rich guys in fancy neighborhoods dont even have to follow it. My cousin had to move because one lived two streets over and they made a whole thing about it but I guess if youre a billionaire the rules just dont apply and nobody knocks on doors to warn people. The whole system is rigged from the bottom up and this just proves it again. Not surprised at all honestly been saying this for years.
didnt lutnick used to work for like lehman brothers or something I feel like I heard his name before all this epstein stuff started