US Commerce Secretary: Subpoena Almost Certain - Lutnick Moves to the Center of Congress in the Epstein Case

Howard Lutnick could soon find himself in the witness chair. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Thursday that it is “very possible” that the Commerce Secretary will be compelled to testify about his relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. A subpoena is realistic. Comer spoke in Chappaqua, New York, shortly before leading the closed door deposition of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The former Secretary of State, as well as her husband Bill Clinton, are being questioned as part of the committee’s months long investigation. Asked whether Lutnick could also be subpoenaed, Comer replied that it was very possible and that there was a good chance his name would arise in the questioning taking place that day.

The Republican also defended the decision to compel testimony from the Clintons. The committee had already heard from two former Trump cabinet members. “This is not just about Democrats. It is about anyone who has any knowledge of Epstein,” Comer said. The more than likely subpoena comes at a time of growing scrutiny over Lutnick’s relationship with Epstein. The current Commerce Secretary, a longtime Trump confidant and former finance chief of his 2024 campaign, told the New York Post in October that he had cut off all contact with Epstein after a meeting in 2005. The encounter, he said, unsettled him so deeply that he vowed “never to be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.” Our reporting dismantled that claim decisively.

See also our investigation;;

Investigation shows: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Lied - Six Years of Business With Epstein

Our article from February 24, 2026

Howard Lutnick, US Commerce Secretary under Trump, has a major problem. And it grows with every document that surfaces from the Epstein files. Lutnick had consistently claimed that he and his wife cut off all contact with Jeffrey Epstein after 2005. At the time, they had become neighbors of his property in New York, Epstein had given them a tour of his house, and Lutnick later said he had sworn “never again to be in a room with that disgusting person.” It sounds like a clean break. It is not.

Read more here …

Documents from the “Epstein files” released by the Department of Justice tell a different story. Emails that we were able to uncover show that Lutnick maintained contact with Epstein until 2018 - just before his renewed federal indictment on sex trafficking charges and long after he had served time in jail on state level offenses related to his abuse of young girls. The records further show that Lutnick arranged a visit in 2012 to Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, the location that became internationally known because of the allegations tied to it. There is now also verified photographic evidence, even though the images had been removed from the Department of Justice website.

Mere mention in files does not indicate guilt. Yet during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on February 11, Lutnick admitted under oath that he had visited the island. In response to questions from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, he said he had lunch there. He was on a boat trip during a family vacation, his wife, four children and nannies were with him. They spent about an hour on the island and then left together. “I do not recall why we did it,” Lutnick said. There was nothing inappropriate about it.

At the same time, he emphasized under oath that he “did not have any relationship” with Epstein and had “barely anything to do with that person.” That claim has likewise collapsed like a house of cards. Since that testimony, political pressure has increased. Lawmakers from both parties are calling for his resignation. Donald Trump has publicly stood by his minister. The president has taken Lutnick on board Air Force One multiple times and has shown no willingness to remove him from office.

The closer one gets to the individuals, the more documents or images disappear from the Department of Justice website, as in the example of Dataset 9, ID EFTA01230639

Whether the Oversight Committee will in fact issue a subpoena will be decided in the coming weeks. One thing is already clear: the investigation continues to expand. Names from different political camps are emerging. And with each new document, each new statement, the focus shifts - away from mere contacts, toward the question of who knew what, who did what and when.

We will continue to investigate in the Epstein case, and Lutnick’s resignation is a must. All of our reporting clearly shows: Lutnick and Epstein were not loosely connected, it was a pronounced friendship and business entanglement. The list of victims is long, our investigations will continue for months, possibly years. Yet clarification stands at the very top of our to do list. That is what we owe the victims, and those who have committed wrongdoing must be held accountable. Personally, I was shaped by a statement from Robert Mahler, former state criminal police officer, whose path crossed with ours a long time ago, a good officer who stood for truth and learned the consequences of doing so.

“I was once told: In certain areas, you should not take things so strictly. When it comes to the ordinary citizen, yes, but where politics is involved, you cannot cling too closely to the letter of the law.”

That should never be the case. That is what we stand for, without fear of consequences. The worst consequence is to one day realize that you did nothing, and that is not our or my mentality.

To be continued .....