WASHINGTON, D.C. — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will testify on May 6 in a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The deposition is part of the Republican-controlled committee's investigation into the federal government's handling of cases involving Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Lutnick's voluntary appearance is one of several depositions sought by the committee. Former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, billionaire Les Wexner and Ted Waitt have also provided testimony.

Lutnick, who was once a neighbor of Epstein, is among several Trump administration officials whose connections to Epstein have drawn scrutiny. President Trump appointed him as Commerce Secretary at the start of his second term, and the Senate confirmed him in a 51-45 party-line vote.

Lutnick has given contradictory statements about his ties to Epstein and has denied any wrongdoing. In a 2025 interview on the podcast "Pod Force Once with Miranda Devine," he said he had cut off all contact with Epstein in 2005. "I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy," Lutnick said.

Emails between Lutnick and Epstein released by the Department of Justice contradicted those statements. Emails released by the department in January 2026 indicated that the two men made lunch plans in 2012. Epstein was convicted in 2008 on state-level sex offense charges including soliciting prostitution from a minor.

In February 2026, Lutnick told the Senate Appropriations Committee that he had communicated with Epstein after 2005, acknowledging ten emails released publicly and two meetings with Epstein that took place after the 2008 conviction. He said he and his family had lunch for about an hour with Epstein at his private island in 2012 while on vacation, with another family also present, and that he met Epstein for about an hour in 2011. "I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person," Lutnick said.

Lutnick and his wife had toured Epstein's home in 2005, exiting quickly after Epstein made a sexually suggestive remark when asked about a massage table surrounded by candles. During a House budget hearing in April 2026, Lutnick declined to answer a question about his contradictory statements related to Epstein, but said he would be glad to answer questions before the House Oversight Committee.

"There was no indication that Lutnick engaged in any wrongdoing with Epstein," Senator Chris Van Hollen said, though he faulted Lutnick for his earlier contradictory statements to Congress.