US commerce secretary to testify before Congress about Epstein ties

7 hours agoNardine SaadGetty ImagesUS Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before a congressional panel investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Lutnick "has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily" for a transcribed interview as part of the House Oversight Committee investigation, chairman James Comer announced on Tuesday.Lutnick has acknowledged visiting Epstein's private island in 2012, years after the financier was convicted of sex crimes. The commerce secretary has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein's victims.The announcement comes days after former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, both testified in the inquiry.The commerce secretary, who is considered the architect of Trump's global tariffs policy, had previously told Congress he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after the paedophile - a neighbour of Lutnick in New York - used sexual innuendo to explain why he owned a massage table in a room of his home.But earlier this month, he confirmed visiting Epstein's island while on a family vacation in the Caribbean. Details about the visit were included in millions of documents released by the US justice department related to their investigations into Epstein. Lutnick is among a series of high-profile people named in the more than 3.5 million documents that have been released by the justice department, as mandated by law.The revelation that Lutnick visited Epstein's island long after he asserted that he had cut off contact led to bipartisan calls for the commerce secretary to resign from the Trump administration. No date has been publicly shared for Lutnick's testimony. "I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee," said Comer, a Republican representing Kentucky.Files released by the justice department show Lutnick visited Epstein's Caribbean island on 23 December, 2012. In an email on the eve of the visit, Lutnick's wife Allison wrote to Epstein's assistant: "We are looking forward to visiting you", and, "We would love to join you for lunch".The planned testimony comes on the heels of last week's depositions of the Clintons, who both testified that they did not have any prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and had cut ties with him before his conviction in Florida in 2008. While neither Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein's victims, Bill Clinton is included in investigative files related to the sexual predator, including photos. His inclusion spurred calls for the couple's depositions.After announcing Lutnick's planned testimony, Comer also called on seven others to appear before the committee for transcribed interviews, including Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, Clinton's former top aide Doug Band and former White House lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler.