After several hours of questioning before the US Parliament about his contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick was massively attacked by Democrats.
May 7, 2026, 4:12 amMay 7, 2026, 4:13 am
Several MPs accused the minister of lying to the public about his relationship with Epstein. They demanded his resignation.
Howard Lutnick lied about his contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.Image: keystone
A House of Representatives control committee is supposed to politically examine the abuse network of the financial investor Epstein, who died in 2019. The investigation will, among other things, clarify how he gained influence and wealth and which networks may have protected him.
Files released earlier this year show that Lutnick had been in contact with Epstein for longer than he previously stated. At a Senate hearing, Lutnick admitted that he had visited Epstein’s Caribbean island in 2012 – years after his conviction in 2008 – during a family vacation. He said he did not observe any crimes and denied any wrongdoing.
Democrats: Statements make “no sense at all”
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said under questioning that Lutnick had tried to reframe earlier statements that he never wanted to be in the same room with Epstein again after a 2005 meeting:
“He tried to reinterpret the word “I” as if he actually meant that he wouldn’t see Epstein alone – but that it was completely okay for his wife and children to see Epstein. That didn’t make any sense at all.”
Democrat Yassamin Ansari spoke of “one of the most egregious cover-ups in American history.” Lutnick claimed to have known nothing about the crimes before his visit to the island.
Several Democrats also expressed suspicion that Lutnick had retracted previous statements about possible blackmail and video recordings by Epstein under the influence of President Donald Trump’s administration. “He said himself that he had spoken to people from the government – and that is why he has now changed his attitude,” said Khanna.
Committee chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, admitted before the hearing began that Lutnick was “not 100 percent honest” about his stays on Epstein’s island. At the same time, Comer emphasized that he had so far seen “no wrongdoing” in the known emails between Lutnick and Epstein. (sda/dpa)