United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a former neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein who visited the disgraced financier on his Caribbean island, on May 6 becomes the first sitting cabinet member to testify to the US House committee investigating the sex offender’s crimes and possible lapses in the law enforcement response. 

Mr Lutnick came under fire earlier in 2026 after documents released by the Justice Department revealed the former chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald LP visited Epstein’s island in 2012, years after Epstein’s conviction for the procurement of minors for prostitution.

Democrats called on the House Oversight Committee to subpoena testimony from Mr Lutnick, who has denied doing anything inappropriate. The Commerce secretary volunteered to come in and worked quickly to schedule his appearance, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the interview.

Mr Lutnick will testify on May 6 behind closed doors, and the committee plans to release a transcript in the coming days. The panel so far has not taken any testimony on Epstein in open public hearings.

A Commerce spokesperson said Mr Lutnick looks forward to addressing the committee’s questions on the record and called any claims against him baseless and inaccurate. 

The Justice Department files include what appear to be business agreements between Mr Lutnick and Epstein as well as a photo of Epstein, Mr Lutnick and three other men standing near an oceanside cliff. An email to Epstein in the files includes a resume for Mr Lutnick’s nanny, though the Commerce secretary has denied providing that document himself.