• Democrats assert they have sufficient votes to compel Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
  • The move follows revelations that Lutnick maintained contact with Epstein until at least 2012—contradicting his previous claims—and visited Epstein's private Caribbean island that year.
  • Bipartisan pressure is mounting, with lawmakers from both parties calling for Lutnick's resignation, though the White House has rejected those demands.

Escalating Congressional Investigation

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say they have secured enough votes to subpoena Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, escalating a probe that has already drawn in high-profile figures like Hillary and Bill Clinton. According to people familiar with the matter, the committee plans to formally issue the subpoena in the coming days, compelling Lutnick to testify about discrepancies in his account of his relationship with Epstein.

Lutnick previously claimed he severed ties with Epstein in 2005, but recently released Epstein files from late January revealed he maintained contact with Epstein until at least 2012—four years after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for solicitation of a minor. Documents showed the two remained in business together through 2014 over dealings in an advertising company called Adfin, and communicated as recently as 2018. Testimony before Congress confirmed Lutnick visited Epstein's private Caribbean island in 2012 with his wife and children, a detail that has fueled bipartisan scrutiny.

Political and Legal Pressure Mounts

A photograph authenticated by CBS News showing Lutnick with Epstein and three other men on Epstein's island was briefly removed from the Justice Department's website before being restored Thursday night, adding to the controversy. The image was part of the broader Epstein files released in January 2026, which have prompted calls for transparency from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) stated she intended to question Hillary Clinton about her knowledge of Lutnick's relationship with Epstein during Clinton's six-hour-plus deposition on Thursday.

Efforts to restructure the committee's approach have hit a snag, with Democrats like Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) using the Clinton depositions to push for presidential testimony in oversight investigations. Khanna explicitly called for President Donald Trump to appear before the committee to explain his knowledge of Epstein and the delayed full release of documents. Trump has maintained he had a falling out with Epstein years before 2019 and had no involvement in his crimes, but without a deal for testimony, the investigation could stall.

Lutnick testified that he has "nothing to hide—absolutely nothing" and emphasized that his 2012 island visit was a family vacation where he had lunch for an hour. However, bipartisan calls for his resignation have intensified, with the White House rejecting those demands. Lutnick has not been charged with any crime related to his association with Epstein, and being named in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, but the political fallout is ongoing as the committee seeks more testimony and documents.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the timing of Lutnick's island visit; it occurred in 2012, not 2014.