Howard Lutnick scrutiny grows as Democrats say they have the votes to subpoena howard lutnick
Lawmakers are increasing pressure on US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick after the justice department’s website restored a photo that appears to show him with Jeffrey Epstein on the financier’s private island. Democrats say they have the votes to subpoena howard lutnick as calls mount for testimony and documents.
Photo restored on justice department site
The restored image shows Epstein front and center, surrounded by three other men, with Lutnick, dressed in a blue shirt and white shorts, standing a few feet behind Epstein. It has not been confirmed when the photo was taken. Lutnick has denied wrongdoing, saying he has nothing to hide about his links to Epstein.
Howard Lutnick and the congressional letter
A letter addressed to Lutnick from Democratic US senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon calls on him to testify before Congress about his relationship with Epstein. The senators request that Lutnick produce all records of meetings, phone calls, and correspondence with Epstein or his associates, and a complete timeline of every interaction he has had with Epstein, including after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting an underage girl for prostitution.
Senators press for evidence and answers
The senators also ask Lutnick to provide any information or evidence to support his former claim that Epstein "is the greatest blackmailer ever, " a remark he made in an October interview, and they seek answers regarding the nanny that Lutnick employed. The letter states: "The American people and the survivors of Mr Epstein’s crimes deserve a full accounting from every public official whose statements on this matter have proven incomplete. If, as you say, you have nothing to hide, then producing these records should be a straightforward matter. "
Calls for testimony and subpoenas
The White House did not immediately respond to comment on the calls for Lutnick to testify. US House oversight committee chairperson James Comer, a Tennessee Republican, told reporters on Thursday that he is not ruling out the possibility that Lutnick would be issued a subpoena to testify. In a post on Friday morning, US House member Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who serves on the oversight committee, wrote that "Howard Lutnick should take questions" from the body. "I believe we will have the votes to subpoena him, " US House member Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and oversight committee member, said outside the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in New York on Friday. Khanna’s remarks came shortly before Bill Clinton testified to the House committee about his ties to Epstein.
Lutnick's past dealings with Epstein
Lutnick was a longtime next-door neighbor of Epstein in New York and has previously claimed that he distanced himself from Epstein in 2005. However, the justice department’s release of case files showed that Lutnick had two engagements with Epstein years later. He attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home, and Lutnick’s family had lunch with Epstein on his private island in 2012 — four years after Epstein was sentenced to 13 months in jail for procuring a minor for prostitution.
Testimony before the Senate appropriations committee
Lutnick, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, admitted to the 2012 lunch during his 10 February testimony before the US Senate appropriations committee. "I did have lunch with him, as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation, " Lutnick said. In that testimony, Lutnick also insisted that he "barely had anything to do" with Epstein and began, "I’m glad to be here to make it clear that I met Jeffr" — unclear in the provided context.
Nancy Mace’s comment that "Howard Lutnick should take questions" and Ro Khanna’s statement that "I believe we will have the votes to subpoena him" have been cited by members of both parties as they press for documents, testimony and clarification of the timeline of Lutnick’s interactions with Epstein. The restored photo and the justice department’s case-file disclosures have intensified scrutiny of Lutnick’s ties to Epstein and prompted renewed requests for records and answers.
