'Pathological liar': Democrats accuse Howard Lutnick of ‘egregious cover-up’ in Epstein investigation

House Democrats sharply criticised Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick following his testimony before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday (May 6), accusing him of claiming ignorance about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes as part of what they described as an ‘egregious cover-up’. Lutnick appeared for a closed-door, transcribed interview tied to the committee’s ongoing investigation into Epstein. Lawmakers have pushed to question Lutnick after documents from the Epstein files suggested he remained in contact with the convicted sex offender more recently than previously disclosed. Earlier this year, Lutnick also acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island in 2012. He had previously told senators he ended contact with Epstein after first meeting him in 2005. Lutnick has denied any wrongdoing.

Democrats accused the Commerce Secretary of dodging questions during the session and criticized the committee’s decision not to record the interview on video.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) told reporters that Lutnick, among other things, didn’t “remember why he went” to Epstein’s Island, calling the response “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 on the island. This is absolutely absurd, and he should resign,” Subramanyam said alongside fellow Democrats outside the hearing room.

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Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) echoed those concerns, calling Lutnick a “pathological liar who is enabling the most egregious cover-up in American history.” Last year, Lutnick told “Pod Force One” host Miranda Devine that Epstein was a “disgusting person” from whom he and his wife kept their distance. Lutnick also described visiting Epstein’s home, saying the area was centered around a massage table surrounded by candles. Ansari said her questions focused on why Lutnick would visit Epstein’s island “if he 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.) also criticized the closed-door format, saying, “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 Democratic criticism, arguing they were “telling you all stuff that was said that was not said.”

“So we asked some very substantive questions in 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 believed Lutnick had 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 high-profile figure — and the first Cabinet official — to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein investigation. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have already appeared before the panel, while former Attorney General Pam Bondi is expected to testify later this month.