Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just dropped a bombshell about Jeffrey Epstein that’s got the political elite sweating more than a D.C. summer.
The New York Post reported that Lutnick, in a freshly released episode of "Pod Force One" with Miranda Devine, accused the late Epstein of being a master blackmailer who may have traded secret recordings of powerful figures to snag a cushy 2008 plea deal.
Let’s rewind to 2005, when Lutnick and his wife moved next door to Epstein’s East 71st Street townhouse in Manhattan, only to get an unsettling peek behind the curtain.
During a tour of the property, Epstein proudly showed off his infamous "massage room," complete with a table smack in the middle, casually mentioning he got massages daily.
Then, as Lutnick recalls, Epstein leaned in uncomfortably close and hinted at getting “the right kind” of massage, a comment creepy enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Disgusted, Lutnick and his wife bolted for the door, deciding in mere steps that Howard would never share space with Epstein again—turns out, some neighbors aren’t worth borrowing sugar from.
Lutnick didn’t stop at personal anecdotes; he went full throttle, calling Epstein “the greatest blackmailer” ever and speculating that hidden cameras captured illicit acts during those so-called massages.
He suggested that Epstein’s wealthy pals, including names like Prince Andrew and Bill Gates, weren’t just bystanders but active participants who couldn’t possibly miss what was happening.
Now, let’s be fair—Gates’s spokesperson fired back with a firm denial, insisting their meetings were strictly about philanthropy, but Lutnick’s claims still hang heavy in the air like a storm cloud over a picnic.
Digging deeper, Lutnick theorized—without hard proof—that Epstein might have handed over incriminating footage to federal authorities to secure his lenient 2008 plea deal, which saw him plead guilty to state charges and serve just 13 months, much of it with work release perks.
How does a serial offender get such a slap on the wrist, Lutnick mused, unless there was a trade of some very damning material?
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice and FBI, in a July 6 memo, poured cold water on these ideas, stating they found no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail schemes involving prominent figures, despite Epstein harming over a thousand victims.
Adding to the pushback, a 2020 DOJ report noted that none of Epstein’s massage victims who spoke to law enforcement mentioned any video recordings, casting doubt on Lutnick’s speculation.
Even the South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office, under Alex Acosta at the time, justified the 2008 non-prosecution deal due to evidentiary challenges, though Acosta later admitted to a House panel, via attorney Jeffrey Neiman, that relying on the state system was a misstep.
As for other connections, President Trump acknowledged a past association with Epstein in the ‘90s and early 2000s but claimed he banned him from Mar-a-Lago after catching wind of Epstein recruiting spa staff—turns out, actions do have consequences, even for the well-connected.
