Kathryn WilkensMay 22nd, 2026, 2:19 pm
(Alex Brandon/AP photo)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick donated $5 million to a major House Republican super PAC weeks after arranging a closed-door testimony with congressional investigators examining his past ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, per a Friday report from The New York Times.
The Times reported that Lutnick contributed to the Congressional Leadership Fund — the primary super PAC supporting House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — on April 1, less than a month after the House Oversight Committee announced he had agreed to testify voluntarily about his relationship with Epstein. The interview took place on May 6.
According to the report, lawmakers had weighed issuing a subpoena before Lutnick agreed to appear before the committee. Democrats had already questioned him publicly during a February congressional hearing as scrutiny surrounding his past association with Epstein intensified.
The Times noted that previously released Epstein-related documents placed Lutnick’s name in more than 250 records connected to the late financier. The outlet also reported that while Lutnick had long claimed he had not shared a room with Epstein following a 2005 interaction, records showed he later traveled to Epstein’s private island in 2012 and had additional contact with him.
During his testimony, according to a transcript cited by the Times, Lutnick acknowledged three encounters with Epstein — a coffee meeting at Epstein’s Manhattan home, a discussion concerning construction work on Epstein’s property, and the 2012 island visit with his family.
Per the transcript, Lutnick characterized the interactions as “meaningless and inconsequential” while denouncing Epstein’s behavior.
A spokesperson for the Commerce Department defended the donation in a statement to the outlet, saying, “Mr. Lutnick made a political donation in his personal capacity, just as many Cabinet Secretaries from both parties have done in the past.”
The Times noted the contribution was unusually large for a sitting cabinet official and marked Lutnick’s first major disclosed federal political donation since joining President Donald Trump’s administration.
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