Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a recent interview, labeled convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as “the greatest blackmailer ever.” This statement contrasts with the Trump Administration’s attempts to minimize public concern regarding the Epstein matter.
In a conversation with Miranda Devine of the New York Post for a report, the commerce secretary suggested that Epstein might have exchanged video recordings of his associates receiving massages from young women for a 2008 plea agreement with federal authorities. Lutnick, however, conceded he had “no knowledge” of this scenario and offered no proof for his assertion.
Lutnick, who resided adjacent to Epstein in Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 2005, recalled that Epstein once presented him and his wife with a “massage room” in his townhouse, making a suggestive remark. The commerce secretary stated that he and his wife resolved that he would “never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.”
“What transpired in that massage room, I presume, was recorded on video,” Lutnick remarked. “This individual was the ultimate blackmailer, exploiting people. That’s how he amassed his wealth.”
“I speculate that, long ago, those videos were bartered in exchange for his 18-month sentence,” he claimed. “He is, after all, a serial sex offender. How could he receive only 18 months and be permitted to attend his office daily and host guests? There must have been a bargain.”
“Therefore, my presumption—though I possess no direct knowledge—is that a trade occurred involving the videos, given the presence of individuals in those recordings,” he added.
Facing allegations of sexually abusing young girls, Epstein reached a plea agreement in 2008 with Alex Acosta, then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which allowed him to sidestep federal charges. This lenient arrangement has since attracted considerable examination and spurred various conspiracy theories, alongside numerous other facets of Epstein’s existence and legal situation.
Acosta later became Labor Secretary in the initial Trump Administration but resigned in 2019 amidst increasing scrutiny over the plea deal. He has previously defended his management of the Epstein case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida did not promptly reply to a request for comment.
The Epstein case has seen a resurgence of interest in recent months following the release of a Justice Department and FBI report this summer. The report concluded that Epstein possessed no “client list” of co-conspirators and that his 2019 jail death was a suicide, thus refuting prevalent conspiracy theories about the disgraced financier. The Trump Administration has subsequently contended with public outrage regarding its approach to the case, including from the President’s MAGA supporters.
President Donald Trump has also faced examination concerning his lengthy friendship with Epstein, after the Wall Street Journal published a report claiming Trump sent a “bawdy” birthday letter to the now-disgraced financier in 2003. Trump has refuted writing the letter and initiated a lawsuit against several individuals and entities associated with the news organization.
Several Trump Administration members had previously endorsed conspiracy theories concerning Epstein’s situation, but have since retracted those remarks as the President and senior officials endeavored to assuage the worries. Simultaneously, both Democratic and Republican legislators have called for transparency, urging the Administration to release the Epstein case files.
Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, called for Lutnick to appear before the panel, stating in a Wednesday social media post that the commerce secretary’s “claims are explosive.”
“We must converse with him—the entire Oversight committee. We are highly keen on comprehending precisely what he knows and the origins of these theories,” Garcia stated on CNN. “Anyone, especially if you are part of the Trump Administration and articulate such comments so openly, must possess supplementary information. Therefore, rest assured that we intend to investigate further.”
