Democratic members of the US Congress accused Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday of lying about his relationship with deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, who faced numerous sexual crime allegations, following a closed-door hearing. “After what we heard (…) in this testimony, I can comfortably say that Howard Lutnick is a pathological liar,” Democratic Representative Yasmin Ansari told the press after leaving the hearing.
Democratic congressman against Lutnick over Epstein: “What we heard in the room is unthinkable”
Democratic Representative Suhas Subramanyam called for the Commerce Secretary to resign. “What we heard in the room is unthinkable,” he said. “He avoided giving answers, he was nervous, he was dishonest.” Lutnick did not stop to make statements to the press after the hearing. His name appears frequently in Epstein case documents released by the Department of Justice.
In a podcast appearance in October 2025, the Secretary swore that—after meeting Jeffrey Epstein in 2005—he never saw the “disgusting” financier again. However, he later admitted in February that he had dinner with Jeffrey Epstein in 2012 on his private Caribbean island.
“I had dinner with him on the island while I was on a family boating vacation. My wife was with me, as were my four children and their nannies,” he said in mid-February, assuring that the island visit lasted only one hour. He has also said he had “minimal” contact with Jeffrey Epstein since 2005. At the time, according to Howard Lutnick, both financiers lived in the same New York neighborhood. Democratic lawmakers highlighted the Secretary’s contradictions in statements made weeks apart. “If you felt uncomfortable when this person was present—we asked him repeatedly—why did you go to the island?” Subramanyam told the press. “He said he didn’t remember,” and his attitude was “inexplicable,” he added.
Republican Epstein case leader dismissed the accusations
Republican chairman of the congressional committee investigating the Epstein case, James Comer, dismissed the Democratic lawmakers’ accusations, emphasizing that Lutnick was “very cooperative” when questioned about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein during the hearing.
Various personalities have come under scrutiny for visiting the so-called “Epstein Island” in the US Virgin Islands, where prosecutors say the financier, who died in prison in 2019, sexually exploited minors. However, having someone’s name mentioned in Jeffrey Epstein case documents released by the Department of Justice does not automatically mean they did anything illegal.
