Who is Howard Lutnick and what's his connection to Jeffrey Epstein?

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified May 6 in a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, part of its ongoing investigation into the federal government's handling of cases involving the late convicted sex offender and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

In transcripts released by the committee of Lutnick's four-hour interview, the secretary detailed what he described as his "virtually nonexistent interactions" with Epstein, who was his next door neighbor in New York for more than a decade.

Lutnick described three total in-person interactions: a brief tour he and his wife took of Epstein's house in 2005, which the couple cut short after a disturbing comment; a conversation in Epstein's foyer about scaffolding around their houses in 2011; and a lunch Epstein, Lutnick and his family, and family friends had on Epstein's private island the following year.

READ MORE: Read the full transcript of Howard Lutnick's testimony about Jeffrey Epstein

The extent of Lutnick's relationship with Epstein initially came under heavy scrutiny after he gave contradictory statements about his ties to the disgraced financier. Lutnick has denied any wrongdoing.

Lutnick's voluntary, closed-door deposition was one of several sought by the Republican-controlled House committee.

A number of powerful figures from across the political spectrum and in finance, entertainment and beyond, have emerged in documents, pictures and emails from the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, but the fallout has led to resignations and calls for more accountability.

Other notable figures who have provided testimony to the committee include former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, billionaire Les Wexner and Ted Waitt, Maxwell's ex-boyfriend.

Why did the committee want to talk to Lutnick?

Lutnick was a one-time neighbor of Epstein's. Emails between the two, revealed in one of the congressionally-required releases of Department of Justice files on the investigations, contradicted the commerce secretary's previous statements about their relationship.

Trump appointed Lutnick as commerce secretary at the start of his second term. He was confirmed along party lines, in a 51-45 vote.

READ MORE: Epstein files reveal close ties to Trump's influential inner circle

Several Democrats called for Lutnick's resignation as more about his interactions with Epstein and his contradictory comments about them came to light. He is among a handful of Trump administration officials to draw scrutiny over his connections to Epstein.

What has Lutnick previously said about his connections to Epstein?

Lutnick once said he had cut off all contact with Epstein in 2005 — before the financier's 2008 conviction on state-level sex offense charges, including soliciting prostitution from a minor.

In a 2025 interview on "Pod Force Once with Miranda Devine," Lutnick described meeting Epstein when the two became neighbors in 2005.

Lutnick and his wife toured Epstein's home, he recalled, but quickly exited after Epstein made a sexually suggestive remark in response to a question about why a massage table, surrounded by candles, was in the middle of his house.

From that point on, "I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy," he said, calling Epstein a "disgusting person."

This account was contradicted in January, when the Department of Justice released a tranche of documents that included emails between the two men, which indicated they made lunch plans in 2012.

Lutnick later told the Senate Appropriations Committee in February that he'd had communication with Epstein after 2005, acknowledging the 10 emails released publicly and two meetings with Epstein that took place after the 2008 conviction.

WATCH: Lutnick downplays relationship with Epstein during Senate testimony

"I did not have any relationship with him," Lutnick told senators. "I barely had anything to do with that person."

Lutnick said he and his family had lunch for about an hour with Epstein at his private island in 2012, while they were on vacation. Another family was also there, Lutnick said. Lutnick also had a meeting with him "for an hour" in 2011.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said there was no indication that Lutnick "engaged in any wrongdoing with Epstein," but did fault Lutnick for his earlier contradictory statements to Congress.

During a House budget hearing in April, Lutnick declined to answer a question about his contradictory statements related to Epstein.

He said he would "be glad" to answer these kinds of questions before the House Oversight Committee.

What did Lutnick say in his closed-door deposition?

Lutnick reiterated that he met with Epstein a total of three times, explained emails exchanged between the two men in 2018 and clarified comments he made on the podcast alleging that Epstein blackmailed people for money.

"Epstein lived in the house next door to my family for 14 years, and in that entire time, I interacted with him in person only three times. Again, each meaningless and inconsequential. I had no personal or professional relationship with this individual," Lutnick said.

He added that "at no time during these limited interactions did I witness any conduct, let alone the type of illegal conduct of which we have since become aware."

Lutnick explained his second meeting with Epstein in 2011 was brief, and took place in the foyer of Epstein's home while Lutnick's wife waited outside with one of their dogs. Lutnick said that to the best of his recollection, the conversation had to do with scaffolding around Epstein's house.

Lutnick was also asked about emails the two men exchanged in 2018 about a company called Adfin Solutions. Epstein signed an Adfin stock purchase agreement dated Dec. 28, 2012. Lutnick signed the agreement in 2013; in his interview, he said he signed for a subsidiary of the company he worked for, Cantor Fitzgerald Venture Capital.

At the time, he didn't know that Epstein also had stock in the company, Lutnick said in the interview. He only found out he was an investor when documents were recently released, he said.

In 2018, Epstein asked Lutnick about Adfin's prospects. Lutnick responded "Producing revenue finally. This is their year. Next 12 months they need to become economically self-sufficient."

Lutnick said it didn't surprise him that "people knew about" Adfin, which he said was trying to "get attention."

In follow-up emails, Lutnick testified that Epstein jokingly asked when he could buy Lutnick's townhome, and Lutnick responded in kind, "Probably 4 years."