James Comer

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Wednesday that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick "wasn't 100% truthful" about his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Comer defended the House Oversight Committee's decision to interview Lutnick over his relationship with the late financier.

Speaking to reporters before the closed-door interview, Comer said lawmakers planned to question Lutnick about trips to Epstein's private island, continued communications after Epstein's conviction, and discrepancies between Lutnick's public statements and records showing contact with Epstein as recently as 2018.

"What I've seen — he wasn't 100% truthful with whether or not he had been on the island," Comer said, while adding he had not yet seen evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the email correspondence.

Comer stressed that Lutnick agreed to appear voluntarily and described the investigation as bipartisan, noting that Oversight Republicans are also preparing to interview former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

He said the committee's goal was "to provide justice for the victims" and "get the truth."

Comer also acknowledged the political sensitivity of summoning a Cabinet secretary from a Republican administration, calling the move unprecedented during his decade on the committee.

The remarks come as frustration grows among parts of the MAGA base over what critics see as conflicting signals from the White House and top Republicans regarding Epstein-related accountability.

Some conservative activists and influencers have accused administration allies of promising transparency about Epstein's network while simultaneously downplaying questions involving politically connected figures.

Comer appeared to address that skepticism directly, emphasizing that the investigation was not designed to protect allies.

He argued the committee has increasingly focused on "accountability," citing recent federal actions involving fraud investigations, hospice providers in California, and alleged manipulation of crime statistics by Washington, D.C., police officials.

For many grassroots conservatives, however, the Epstein issue has become a broader test of whether Republican leaders are willing to aggressively pursue allegations involving elites regardless of party affiliation.

The mixed messaging, calls for transparency alongside defenses of administration officials linked to Epstein socially or professionally, has fueled distrust among some voters who believe the full scope of Epstein's network and the experiences of victims have never been fully addressed publicly.