A House committee hearing took a turn on Thursday as Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA) confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. During the exchange, Dean accused the Secretary of providing a false timeline of his relationship with Epstein to the media and questioned his continued presence in the Cabinet.
The confrontation centered on a previous interview Lutnick gave to the New York Post in October. In that interview, Lutnick stated he had not seen Epstein since 2005, claiming a tour of Epstein’s home left him and his wife “grossed out.”
However, Dean pointed to unsealed records showing that Lutnick visited Epstein’s private island in 2012—four years after Epstein’s initial conviction for soliciting a minor.
“You brought along your wife, your kids, and your nannies to the Predator’s Island,” Dean said. “Incredibly poor judgment. But that even wasn’t the whole truth.”
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Dean further alleged that business records show Lutnick and Epstein signed a deal as co-investors in a digital advertising firm, AdFin, just five days after that island visit. She cited emails suggesting the two remained in contact regarding the deal as recently as 2018. When asked directly why he “lied to the New York Post,” Lutnick declined to provide a specific explanation during the public session.
Lutnick repeatedly cited an agreement to speak with the House Oversight Committee at a later date. “I have voluntarily agreed to spend the time and talk about it,” Lutnick stated, adding that he would not “spend the budget day” discussing the matter.
The Secretary also refused to disclose whether President Trump had expressed concerns regarding these past ties, stating, “I’m not going to discuss conversations I have with the president.”
The exchange grew more pointed when Dean referenced the recent dismissals of Cabinet members Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer. She argued that if the administration cared about accountability for Epstein’s associates, Lutnick would also be removed.
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When Dean pushed for information on any additional financial ties to Epstein, Lutnick maintained his position that he would address those questions in a separate, non-public setting.
Dean eventually ended the line of questioning, stating for the record that the Secretary was “dodging the question,” before moving the hearing toward other commerce-related topics.
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