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Democrats rail against Lutnick interview on Epstein as ‘egregious cover-up’

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by Sudiksha Kochi - 05/06/26 5:28 PM ET

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by Sudiksha Kochi - 05/06/26 5:28 PM ET

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House Democrats on Wednesday blasted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s testimony before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, arguing that his claimed lack of knowledge about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes is part of an “egregious cover-up.”

Lutnick appeared before the panel Wednesday for a closed-door, transcribed interview as part of its investigation into Epstein.

Lawmakers have been eager to question Lutnick since a release of the Epstein files showed he was in contact with the convicted sex offender more recently than he had initially indicated and after he admitted earlier this year to visiting Epstein’s private island in 2012. Lutnick had previously told senators he cut off contact with the disgraced financier after first meeting him in 2005.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

Democrats on Wednesday accused Lutnick of evading their questions, and they blasted the decision not to videotape the interview.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) told reporters that Lutnick, among other things, didn’t “remember why he went” to Epstein’s Island, which the Virginia Democrat called “mind boggling.”

“He somehow remembers going to the island after pictures surfaced of him being at the island, but he doesn’t remember why he went to the island, and we had the emails. That’s why we found out he was at the island. This is absolutely absurd, and he should resign,” Subramanyam said alongside fellow Democrats outside the room where the interview was taking place.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) echoed those sentiments, arguing that Lutnick is a “pathological liar who is enabling the most egregious cover-up in American history.”

Lutnick told “Pod Force One” host Miranda Devine last year that Epstein was a “disgusting person” from whom he and his wife kept their distance. He described to Devine his interaction with the financier during a tour of Epstein’s home. Lutnick said then the space was centered around a massage table surrounded with candles.

Ansari said she focused her questions on how Lutnick could have visited Epstein’s island “if him and his wife were truly so uncomfortable, especially when in 2008 we know that Jeffrey Epstein was accused and the sweetheart deal took place for soliciting a minor.”

“Howard Lutnick tried to tell us in that room that he essentially didn’t know any of that,” she said.

“I asked him, ‘How did I as a child at the time see this all over the media about Jeffrey Epstein and you, an adult who was this person’s neighbor, who had engaged with him before — how could you possibly not have known?’ I mean, the level of the lies that are taking place inside that room without video is unbelievable,” she added.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said, “We know why that interview was not videotaped. If Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnick.”

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) dismissed Democrats’ remarks, arguing that they came out “telling you all stuff that was said that was not said.”

“So we asked some very substantive questions the first hour. The Democrats, during their hour, repeated the exact same questions, because there’s only so many questions you can ask Howard Lutnick, who lived — had a property next door to Epstein in New York, talked to him three times over a decade, three interactions over a decade,” Comer said. “He was on the island with his family, with his wife and kids, six people in his family and six people in his friend’s family for lunch for two hours, and he has admitted that.”

Comer added that he felt Lutnick has been “very transparent.”

“The only thing that I’ve seen that Lutnick did wrong … wasn’t 100 percent truthful on the brief visit to the island with his family. He corrected that in his opening statement. And you know, we’ll see. We’ll continue our investigation, and if we find that there were any misstatements by Lutnick. It’s a felony to lie to Congress and he’ll be held accountable,” Comer added.

Lutnick is the latest powerful person — and the first Cabinet official — to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s probe into Epstein. Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before the committee earlier this year, and former Attorney General Pam Bondi is slated to appear later this month.

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