House Oversight Releases Transcripts of Lutnick Testimony and Waitt Interview on Epstein Contacts

The House Oversight Committee on May 14, 2026 released the transcript of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s voluntary closed-door testimony from May 6, 2026, along with the transcript of its April 30, 2026 interview with Ted Waitt. Lutnick told the committee he lived next door to Jeffrey Epstein on New York’s Upper East Side after purchasing the property in 1997 and completing renovations in 2005.

He said he was unaware for years that Epstein was a registered sex offender.

Lutnick testified that he met Epstein in person three times. In 2005, Lutnick and his wife Allison visited Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse for coffee and a tour. ” He said they left the townhouse immediately after the comment.

In 2011 Lutnick had a discussion with Epstein about scaffolding that he described as meaningless and inconsequential. In 2012, Lutnick, his wife Allison, their children, another couple and their children, and staff visited Epstein’s Little St. James island for an outdoor lunch.

The group never entered the residence. Lutnick said the invitation came from Epstein’s staff without any prior communication for years, and that he found it unsettling. “What I still cannot understand is this,” Lutnick said.

Lutnick and Epstein were both investors in the now-shuttered advertising company Adfin in 2014. Lutnick said he had been unaware that Epstein was an early investor in Adfin. In the May 6 testimony Lutnick backed away from a previous claim that Epstein had blackmailed people. He previously stated he cut ties with Epstein in 2005.

No publicly released evidence in the transcripts accuses Lutnick of any misconduct. Lutnick maintained he had no ongoing relationship with Epstein after the 2005 visit. Ted Waitt told the committee he dated Ghislaine Maxwell from 2004 until 2010. Waitt met Maxwell and Epstein at a 2003 Hong Kong dinner attended by former President Bill Clinton.

He described Maxwell’s role for Epstein as “estate manager” who helped manage his properties and staff. Waitt said he was not aware of any allegations concerning Maxwell until she was charged.

The committee plans to interview Tova Noel on May 19, 2026. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has agreed to testify before the committee on May 29, 2026. More than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files have been released.