Secretary Howard Lutnick is questioned by House lawmakers over his Epstein ties

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday was grilled by Democrats and members of his personal social gathering throughout a closed-door listening to earlier than the Home Oversight Committee, over his relationship with the convicted intercourse offender — and his former neighbor — Jeffrey Epstein.

Regardless of conflicting statements Lutnick had beforehand made in regards to the period and nature of his friendship with Epstein, who was accused of intercourse trafficking girls and ladies, Rep. James Comer, Republican chair of the Oversight Committee described Lutnick’s account through the listening to as “forthcoming,” whereas committee Democrats forged the secretary’s testimony as evasive.

Talking to reporters forward of the listening to, Comer mentioned Lutnick’s inconsistent narrative about whether or not he’d been on Epstein’s notorious island “wasn’t 100% truthful.” However, in line with committee Democrats who spoke to reporters after the closed-door session, Comer finally decided that the Trump appointee had dedicated no wrongdoing.

“There’s solely so many questions you possibly can ask Howard Lutnick, who had a property subsequent door to Epstein in New York,” Comer informed reporters whereas Democrats questioned Lutnick. The committee chair insisted that the 2 had spoken and interacted on solely three events over a decade.

“He is been very forthcoming with these interactions,” Comer mentioned.

“We’re bringing in a number of the richest and strongest individuals on this planet. We’re doing all the pieces in our skill to get solutions.” he added.

A number of democrats emerged from the listening to outraged by Comer’s take, and accused Lutnick of outright mendacity.

“What we heard was hours of testimony the place Lutnick was trying to redefine the that means of the phrase ‘I,’ ” Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., informed reporters after the listening to.

“He claims that when he mentioned, ‘I’d by no means be in a room once more with Jeffrey Epstein,’ he meant solely him and Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein was so gross to him that he wasn’t keen to be in a room with him, however he was completely OK together with his spouse and household being in a room with Epstein,” Walkinshaw mentioned, including that the listening to ought to have been televised in order that the American public might “see the sweat on his forehead” as Lutnick answered questions.

California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna referred to as Lutnick’s testimony “embarrassing” and described his responses as “contortions and lies.”

“Now we all know why that interview was not videotaped,” Khanna mentioned. “If Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would’ve fired Howard Lutnick.”

Comer, in the meantime, insisted Lutnick could be held accountable for any misstatements he might have made: “It is a felony to deceive Congress,” he mentioned.

James Marsh, an legal professional representing a few of Epstein’s victims, didn’t attend the listening to however mentioned in a press release that whereas Lutnick’s listening to gives “a step in the direction of potential readability,” it “doesn’t present any actual substance for figuring out” alleged perpetrators of Epstein’s community. “Previous proceedings and depositions have repeatedly didn’t even title, not to mention maintain accountable, those that carried out or enabled Epstein’s crimes,” Marsh mentioned.

He added: “Each single member of his felony enterprise should lastly face the complete pressure of justice; survivors deserve greater than performative oversight. After being silenced for many years, their braveness shouldn’t be met with extra confusion or political rigmarole, however with the accountability they’ve lengthy been denied.”

The Commerce Division mentioned in a press release previous to the listening to that Lutnick, who volunteered to face the committee’s scrutiny, seemed ahead to “placing to relaxation the incorrect and baseless claims within the media.”

Lutnick is the highest-ranking member of Trump’s Cupboard named within the Epstein information to talk to the Home Oversight Committee in regards to the greater than 3 million pages of paperwork and pictures from felony investigations into the late financier that have been launched by the Trump administration. Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019.

Showing within the information isn’t essentially a sign of felony wrongdoing.

In Lutnick’s case, his title seems greater than 100 instances within the information, together with in lots of electronic mail exchanges immediately with Epstein. Lutnick has profusely denied having an in depth relationship with him, as a substitute portraying Epstein as an acquaintance. Lutnick beforehand mentioned that he lower ties with Epstein in 2005, however data within the Epstein information, in addition to his personal subsequent testimony, verify that the 2 have been involved lengthy after that.

In a New York Publish podcast interview final yr, Lutnick mentioned Epstein gave him and his spouse a tour of his Manhattan townhouse — together with his “therapeutic massage room” which was the positioning of alleged rapes and abuse — after they moved in subsequent door in 2005. Lutnick mentioned they shortly excused themselves and “within the six to eight steps it takes to get from his home to my home, my spouse and I made a decision that I’ll by no means be within the room with that disgusting individual ever once more.” He added: “So I used to be by no means within the room with him socially, for enterprise and even philanthropy.”

The Epstein information present that Lutnick and Epstein went into enterprise collectively in 2012: They signed agreements on the identical day to purchase stakes in a now-defunct digital promoting know-how agency referred to as Adfin. Lutnick communicated with Epstein via Epstein’s assistant as just lately as 2018.

The information additionally counsel that Lutnick, his spouse and 4 youngsters had lunch with Epstein on his non-public Caribbean island in 2012. Lutnick confirmed that in a February Senate Appropriations committee listening to, telling lawmakers that the lunch lasted an hour.

“And we left with all of my youngsters, with my nannies and my spouse all collectively,” he mentioned. “We have been on household trip.”

In the identical February listening to, Lutnick downplayed his affiliation with Epstein. He described their contact as a handful of emails and telephone calls years aside, including: “I didn’t have any relationship with him. I barely had something to do with him.”

White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters in February that “Secretary Lutnick stays a vital member of President Trump’s group, and the president absolutely helps the secretary.”

President Trump’s title seems hundreds of instances within the information, which embrace an accusation that he sexually assaulted a minor. Trump has denied the allegations.

Lawmakers on either side of the aisle have referred to as for Lutnick’s resignation, accusing him of mischaracterizing his ties to Epstein. Lutnick has mentioned he has “nothing to cover” concerning that relationship, and agreed in March to seem voluntarily for a closed-door interview with the Home Oversight Committee.

Lutnick is one in every of a number of high-profile people scheduled to talk to the committee about Epstein within the coming weeks. They embrace billionaire philanthropist Invoice Gates, who’s talked about within the information, and former U.S. Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi, who was ousted in April after dealing with criticism over her dealing with of them.