Howard Lutnick Says Former Neighbor Epstein Was ‘Greatest Blackmailer Ever’

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick broke with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) assessment on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by saying he was the “greatest blackmailer ever” during a Wednesday interview with the New York Post.

During an appearance on “Pod Force One,” Lutnick directly contradicted the DOJ’s conclusion in July that no evidence suggested Epstein blackmailed prominent people with a “client list,” stating that he made his fortune off of blackmail. He alleged that powerful people such as Prince Andrew and Microsoft founder Bill Gates got massages from Epstein on his island.

“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 journalist Miranda Devine.

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A spokesperson for Gates told the New York Post that Lutnick’s claims were “absolutely false” and that Gates only ever discussed philanthropy with Epstein.

Lutnick suggested that any incriminating videos of prominent people in the massage room were traded in exchange for a plea deal in 2008 that resulted in Epstein only getting sentenced to 18 months in prison. The commerce secretary added he has not spoken to President Donald Trump about Epstein.

“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 said.