Quick Read
- Rep. Nancy Mace called for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before the House Oversight Committee.
- The demand followed a photo appearing to show Lutnick with Jeffrey Epstein on his private island.
- Mace described Hillary Clinton’s recent closed-door testimony on Epstein ties as “unhinged” and “screaming.”
- Lutnick previously admitted to visiting Epstein’s island with family in 2012, despite earlier claims of cutting ties.
- House Oversight Chairman James Comer indicated Lutnick’s subpoena is “very possible.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Azat TV) – Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina and a prominent member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has publicly called for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to face questioning from the committee regarding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This demand, made on Friday, February 27, 2026, intensifies the high-profile Epstein investigation and follows Mace’s strong criticism of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent testimony, which she described as ‘unhinged.’
Mace’s insistence on Lutnick’s testimony comes after a photo, reportedly appearing to show the Commerce Secretary alongside Epstein on his private island, Little Saint James, surfaced and was then temporarily removed from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) public database. House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) had previously indicated that Lutnick’s testimony was a possibility, and Mace’s comments have now elevated the pressure for him to appear before the committee.
Mace’s Push for Lutnick Testimony
Representative Mace took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning, quoting a post from Jmail, an internet archive tracking Epstein-related documents, which claimed the DOJ had deleted the controversial photo. Mace asserted that Lutnick ‘should take questions from the Oversight committee,’ signaling a concerted effort to scrutinize his past connections to Epstein. The photo, identified as file ID EFTA01230639, was later restored to the DOJ’s public database after its temporary removal.
The call for Lutnick to testify also received bipartisan backing. Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, publicly agreed, stating that Lutnick ‘should resign today’ for allegedly misrepresenting his relationship with Epstein. Separately, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told reporters he believed there would be sufficient votes on the committee to subpoena Lutnick, underscoring the growing consensus for his appearance.
Controversy Surrounding Howard Lutnick
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein have been under increasing scrutiny. Despite initially claiming to have cut off contact with Epstein in 2005, DOJ documents have revealed that the two remained in communication as recently as 2018. In February 2026 testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Lutnick admitted that he and his family, including his wife and children, visited Epstein’s private island in December 2012 for lunch. He described the visit as an ‘hour’ during a ‘family vacation,’ denying anything ‘untoward’ about it at the time, according to CNBC.
Further revelations from DOJ files indicate more extensive interactions. In 2015, Lutnick reportedly invited Epstein to an ‘intimate’ fundraising event for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, which Lutnick was actively fundraising for. Additionally, in 2017, Epstein donated $50,000 to a New York charity in honor of Lutnick. Documents also show that Lutnick and Epstein acquired stakes in a now-defunct advertising technology company, Adfin, on December 28, 2012, as reported by CBS News.
Hillary Clinton’s ‘Unhinged’ Deposition
Mace’s call for Lutnick’s testimony came on the heels of her pointed questioning of Hillary Clinton during a closed-door deposition on Thursday. Mace described Clinton’s demeanor as ‘screaming’ and ‘unhinged’ when pressed on matters related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. ‘She was screaming. Unhinged and combative every time we brought up Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Not exactly the reaction you’d expect from someone claiming she ‘barely knew them,” Mace stated, according to ABC News 4.
Clinton, for her part, denied any substantial knowledge of Epstein, telling reporters in New York that she had ‘answered every one of their questions as fully as I could based on what I knew’ and reiterated, ‘I don’t know how many times I had to say, ‘I did not know Jeffrey Epstein.” She also accused Republican lawmakers of engaging in ‘partisan political theater’ and veering off-topic to discuss unrelated subjects like UFOs and the debunked Pizzagate conspiracy theory. House Oversight Chairman James Comer confirmed that video of Clinton’s testimony would be released quickly, possibly as early as Friday afternoon, allowing the public to assess the exchange. Former President Bill Clinton was scheduled to testify on Friday regarding his own connections to Epstein.
Broader Implications of the Epstein Probe
The House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s network continues to draw in high-profile figures, emphasizing the extensive reach of his illicit activities. The committee’s efforts, largely driven by public and political pressure following recent DOJ file releases, aim to uncover the full extent of Epstein’s connections and hold accountable those who may have facilitated or enabled his crimes. The renewed focus on figures like Lutnick and the Clintons underscores the committee’s commitment to transparency, even as it navigates accusations of partisan motivations.
The heightened scrutiny on Commerce Secretary Lutnick, coupled with the dramatic accounts of Hillary Clinton’s testimony, highlights the enduring political ramifications of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the persistent calls for accountability from public officials.