Democrats came away dissatisfied after the House Oversight Committee’s hourslong private interview with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, but he didn’t do himself any damage among Republicans.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said Lutnick was “evasive, nervous, he was dishonest” — in contrast with Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., who called Lutnick “forthcoming.”
One piece of Wednesday’s testimony Democrats questioned was Lutnick’s closed-door comment about visiting Epstein’s home for lunch; he told them his family had been invited while on vacation, and he found it unsettling that Epstein’s assistants knew he was in the US Virgin Islands.
Lutnick also told lawmakers the two had no personal or professional relationship, according to a person familiar with his testimony.
A department spokesperson said Lutnick answered nearly 400 questions and “explained repeatedly that three encounters do not constitute a relationship. The committee adjourned without identifying any evidence to the contrary.”