On October 1, 2025, a startling wave of controversy swept through Washington after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly accused Jeffrey Epstein of being "the greatest blackmailer ever"—a direct challenge to the Trump Administration’s and Department of Justice’s previous conclusions about the disgraced financier’s criminal activities. Lutnick’s remarks, aired on the New York Post’s podcast "Pod Force One" hosted by Miranda Devine, have sent shockwaves through political, legal, and media circles, reigniting debate over the unresolved mysteries surrounding Epstein’s life, crimes, and connections to the powerful.
Lutnick, a seasoned businessman and former neighbor of Epstein on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, did not mince words during his interview. He recounted a deeply unsettling encounter from 2005, when Epstein invited Lutnick and his wife into his lavish home. "He invites us in, we have coffee, and he says ‘do you want a tour?’" Lutnick told Devine, according to The Nightly. The tour took a disturbing turn when Epstein opened a set of double doors to reveal a massage table surrounded by candles in the center of a room. When Lutnick questioned this odd centerpiece, Epstein allegedly leaned in and boasted about receiving the "right kind of massage" every day. Lutnick and his wife, deeply uncomfortable, made a swift exit. "My wife and I decided that I will never be in a room with that disgusting person ever again," Lutnick said. "So I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy is there, I’m not going because he’s gross."
This personal account, while chilling, was just the prelude to a series of explosive allegations. Lutnick went on to claim that Epstein’s modus operandi was to lure powerful men—such as Prince Andrew and Microsoft founder Bill Gates—into his residence for massages, and that what transpired in those rooms was likely captured on video. "They participated. That’s what his MO was. ‘Get a massage, get a massage.’ And what happened in that massage room I assume is on video. This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever, blackmailed people. That’s how he had money," Lutnick told the New York Post.
He further suggested that these alleged videos of prominent individuals were traded to authorities in exchange for Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal, which resulted in a mere 18-month sentence—an arrangement that allowed Epstein to leave jail during the day and receive visitors. "I mean, he’s a serial sex offender. How could he get 18 months and be able to go to his office during the day and have visitors and stuff? It must’ve been a trade. So my assumption is, and I have no knowledge, but my assumption is there was a trade for the videos because there were people on those videos," Lutnick asserted. He admitted, however, that he had "no knowledge" or direct evidence to support this theory, a point echoed by TIME in its coverage.
Lutnick’s claims stand in stark contrast to the Department of Justice’s July 2025 conclusion, which found no evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people with a so-called "client list." The DOJ and FBI also released a memo this summer stating that Epstein’s 2019 death in jail was a suicide, and that there was no "client list" or evidence of trafficking girls to friends or associates. FBI Director Kash Patel doubled down, telling Congress there was "no credible information, none" to suggest Epstein trafficked girls to anyone but himself. This official stance, however, has done little to quell public speculation or satisfy those who believe the full story has yet to come to light.
Adding to the complexity, a spokesperson for Bill Gates told the New York Post that Lutnick’s claims were “absolutely false” and insisted that Gates only ever discussed philanthropy with Epstein. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has faced renewed scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, stating in July that he ended his relationship with Epstein after Epstein "stole" spa workers from Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre, who later alleged she was recruited to Epstein’s island for sexual acts. Epstein’s longtime partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, told U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that Trump was a “gentleman in all respects” and that she “never” saw him in an inappropriate setting.
The controversy has not been confined to the executive branch. Lawmakers from both parties have called for greater transparency regarding Epstein’s case. Representative Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, called for Lutnick to testify before the panel, describing the commerce secretary’s claims as “explosive.” Speaking on CNN, Garcia said, “We need to speak to him—the entire Oversight committee. We’re very interested in understanding what exactly he knows, where those theories come from. Anyone, particularly if you’re in the Trump Administration and you are saying those comments so freely, you have to have additional information. So you can believe that we’re going to follow up.”
This isn’t the first time the Trump Administration has been forced to address the Epstein saga. After the Wall Street Journal published a story alleging Trump sent a "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein in 2003, Trump denied writing the letter and filed a lawsuit against those involved. Administration officials who once promoted conspiracy theories about the Epstein case have since tried to walk back their comments, as the President and his allies seek to downplay the matter, sometimes dismissing it as a "Democrat hoax." The Administration’s efforts at damage control have been met with skepticism, particularly from those who note the contradictions between official statements and the testimony of Epstein’s victims.
The saga also touches on the broader issue of how the U.S. justice system handled Epstein’s crimes. The 2008 plea deal, brokered by then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta (who later served as Labor Secretary in Trump’s first term), has been the subject of widespread criticism and conspiracy theories. Acosta resigned in 2019 amid mounting questions about his role in the case. The leniency of Epstein’s sentence, combined with his ability to continue business and social activities while incarcerated, has fueled persistent suspicions that influential figures may have been protected, either by design or through systemic failure.
While Lutnick’s allegations remain unproven and are, by his own admission, based on assumption rather than concrete evidence, their public airing by a sitting cabinet secretary has reignited calls for a full accounting of Epstein’s activities—and the extent of his connections to the world’s elite. With both Democratic and Republican lawmakers demanding the release of all Epstein files, and with the Oversight Committee pushing for Lutnick’s testimony, the controversy shows no signs of fading from the public eye.
For now, the shadow cast by Epstein’s crimes—and the many unanswered questions about who knew what, and when—continues to haunt the highest levels of government and society. The search for truth, it seems, is far from over.
