Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday agreed to appear in front of the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Trump-appointed Cabinet official has come under fire in recent weeks, after the Jan. 30 batch of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice included communication between Lutnick and Epstein, his former next-door neighbor.
Lutnick told Axios, which first reported his agreement Tuesday, “I look forward to appearing before the committee. I have done nothing wrong and I want to set the record straight.”
Lutnick said at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Feb. 10 that he did visit Epstein’s island while on a family vacation in 2012; however, he denied any personal ties to Epstein.
Afterward, Democratic senators wrote a letter to Lutnick, asking him to answer questions about his ties to Epstein and release any correspondence he had with Epstein.
Rep. James Comer, chairman of the Oversight Committee, said Lutnick “proactively agreed” to appear before the committee.
“I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee,” Comer said in a post on X.
The interview, which will take place in the coming weeks, will be closed-door, but a transcript will be released after review by Lutnick’s attorney.
The announcement comes after growing pressure on Lutnick to appear before the committee and bipartisan calls for him to resign. Just last week, Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democratic member of the Oversight Committee, said the panel had the votes to subpoena Lutnick.
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