WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Commerce Secretary in an backed away from a previous claim that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had blackmailed people.
Lutnick agreed to sit for an interview with the House Oversight Committee last week after the release of case files on Epstein on a podcast last year that he had been determined to 鈥渘ever be in a room again鈥� with Epstein after a 2005 tour of Epstein鈥檚 home that disturbed Lutnick and his wife.
The House Oversight Committee released the transcript of the interview Wednesday, as well as a transcript of an interview with Tedd Waitt, a former boyfriend of Epstein confidant Ghislaine Maxwell.
Lutnick, who for years was neighbors with Epstein in New York City, had claimed in that podcast interview that Epstein engaged in blackmail. But under scrutiny from lawmakers, Lutnick said he was only 鈥渟peculating.鈥�
鈥淚 had no personal information. I was just speculating for a podcast,鈥� Lutnick told lawmakers, adding that his two other personal interactions with Epstein years later were 鈥渕eaningless and inconsequential.鈥�
Lutnick is the highest-ranked current administration official, besides , to be named in the Epstein case files. The Republican president has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein鈥檚 crimes and has said he ended their relationship years ago.
How Lutnick described interactions with Epstein
Lutnick repeatedly downplayed his previous interactions with Epstein. He said that after Epstein, who in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, showed a massage table and made a sexual innuendo during a tour of his townhouse in 2005, Lutnick and his wife decided he would 鈥渏ust avoid him.鈥�
Yet Lutnick, who was previously the head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, had a pair of interactions and exchanged several emails with Epstein over the years.
They also both invested in the same business venture in 2013, according to the Epstein case files. Lutnick told lawmakers that he was unaware that Epstein was also an investor until the case files were released months ago.
The commerce secretary also described his two other meetings with Epstein. During a family vacation in the Caribbean, Epstein’s staff invited them to have lunch on his private island. Describing the 2012 visit, he told the committee: 鈥淲e sat outside, had lunch. It was boring. We left.鈥�
Lutnick also said he made a brief visit to Epstein’s home in 2011 to discuss scaffolding that would be installed at Epstein’s townhouse. Lutnick called that meeting 鈥渕eaningless and inconsequential.鈥�
Democrats pressed Lutnick to answer for his decision to meet up with Epstein after initially determining that he would avoid him. Lutnick responded that he couldn’t remember why his family made the visit to Epstein’s island.
As they emerged from the interview last week, Democrats criticized Lutnick as evasive and dishonest. Several called on him to resign.
鈥淚f a Cabinet Secretary lies to the American public, they should no longer serve in that position. Mr. Lutnick should resign or be fired,鈥� Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said on social media shortly after Lutnick’s interview.
The White House has stood behind Lutnick, who for years has been a part of Trump’s circle.
Maxwell’s former boyfriend also interviewed
Lawmakers also last month interviewed Waitt, the cofounder of Gateway computers who dated Maxwell in the early 2000s. Maxwell, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence for helping Epstein traffic girls, had also dated Epstein and was his longtime confidant.
Waitt told lawmakers that he was unaware at the time that either Epstein or Maxwell was committing sexual abuse. He also described meeting Epstein only a handful of times.
鈥淓ach of those were very brief and unintentional,鈥� he said, adding that he had never visited Epstein’s home, flown on his planes or visited his private island.
Waitt said he found Epstein 鈥渟omewhat arrogant鈥� and added that he was 鈥渙ff-putting.鈥�
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