US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before Congress as part of an investigation into his past ties to disgraced, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, lawmakers have said.

"Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform," Representative James Comer, the Republican chairman of the panel, said in a statement.

He did not specify a date.

The committee said Lutnick would take part in a transcribed interview regarding his previous relationship with Epstein.

Comer said he commended Lutnick’s "demonstrated commitment to transparency" and welcomed his willingness to engage with the investigation.

The Justice Department in January released millions of files related to Epstein, including emails that showed Lutnick visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island for lunch years after he had said he cut ties with him.

Lutnick, appointed to the post by President Donald Trump last year, has faced calls from Democrats and some Republicans to resign following the disclosures.

Last month, Lutnick told lawmakers he "barely had anything to do with" Epstein.

He said they exchanged about 10 emails and met three times over 14 years.

He also said a lunch on Epstein’s island took place because he was on a boat nearby and that his family attended.

Lutnick is among a number of prominent figures in politics, business and entertainment who have faced scrutiny over past associations with Epstein.

He has also faced questions over apparent contradictions between newly released documents and earlier remarks about his relationship with Epstein, who once lived next door to him in New York when Lutnick was chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald.