Lutnick donated $5M to House GOP super PAC ahead of Epstein deposition
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick donated $5 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the House Republican fundraising arm, shortly before testifying about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. During a closed‑door hearing, Lutnick admitted visiting Epstein’s island in 2012, contradicting earlier statements that he had cut off all contact in 2005. Democrats condemned his testimony and called for his resignation, while Republicans praised his cooperation.
- ▪Lutnick made a $5 million personal donation to the Congressional Leadership Fund on April 1, marking his first political contribution as a cabinet secretary.
- ▪He testified before the House Oversight Committee on May 6, acknowledging a 2012 visit to Epstein’s island with his family.
- ▪The donation follows a previous $5 million contribution Lutnick gave to Donald Trump’s super PAC during the 2024 campaign.
- ▪Democratic lawmakers criticized Lutnick’s testimony as misleading and urged his resignation, whereas Republican leaders praised his forthcomingness.
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| Original publisher | The Hill |
| Canonical URL | https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5892633-lutnick-political-donation-house-gop/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 23 May 2026 13:51:19 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-23T14:17:27.191Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-23T14:17:28.491Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | IBjeDDyUzYRq · 2 stories |
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| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Administration Lutnick donated $5M to House GOP super PAC ahead of Epstein deposition Comments: by Sarah Davis - 05/23/26 9:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 05/23/26 9:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick donated $5 million to a committee backing House Republicans ahead of his testimony to Congress about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show. The Trump administration official made the donation to the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) on April 1, and he testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 6 during a closed-door briefing with lawmakers on the panel.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hill.