Howard Lutnick’s Story About Epstein Is Riddled With Lies
Jeffrey Epstein is a “gross” sex offender whom Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick met once in 2005 and swore never to see again after getting a tour of his Manhattan mansion, according to Lutnick. In fact, he said it was a “one and absolutely done.”
But the recent Epstein files released by the Department of Justice caught Lutnick in a complete and total lie.
Not only did Lutnick repeatedly talk with Epstein after the encounter, but he also visited his infamous island in the Caribbean.
The Lie
Lutnick and his wife, Allison, moved in next door to Epstein’s Manhattan mansion on the Upper East Side of Central Park in 2005, the secretary revealed during an hour-long sit-down for the Pod Force One podcast in October 2025.
One Saturday, Lutnick recounted, Epstein’s assistant came to their door to invite the couple over for coffee with Jeffrey. The visit turned into a tour of Epstein’s Herbert N. Straus House, which Epstein acquired from Jewish billionaire Les Wexner — the owner of Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Abercrombie & Fitch — whom the FBI considers a co-conspirator with Epstein.
During the walk-through, Lutnick said, he saw a massage table in the center of a large room. Asking “insightful, cutting” questions, he inquired of Epstein how often he receives a massage. “Every day,” Epstein replied, “and the right kind of massage.”
The encounter supposedly spooked the Lutnicks to such a degree that they resolved to never be around Epstein again. Ever.
He decided, “I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again,” Lutnick emphatically shared. “I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy [Epstein] was there, I was not going.”
This, Lutnick repeatedly said on the podcast, is the truth. He went so far as to say Epstein gave him “a gift” that day: the insight to avoid him from that point forward.
But a slew of new files reveals the opposite to be true.
Island-hopping and Lunch
In 2011, six years after the house tour — keep in mind Epstein had already pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution and served time in prison in 2008 — Epstein and Lutnick talked on the phone.
“Howard Lutnick returned your call,” Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff said in an email to Epstein. “Call list tomorrow,” he replied.
A year later, planning a trip to Little Saint James — Epstein’s infamous hangout — Allison Lutnick said to Groff, “We are looking forward to visiting you. We will be coming from Caneel Bay in the morning…. We would love to join you for lunch. Please advise on timing and exactly where our boat should go.”
The same day, Howard Lutnick emailed Epstein directly. “Hi Jeff, We are landing in St. Thomas early Saturday.… Does Sunday evening for dinner sound good?” Epstein responded in the affirmative, and Lutnick responded, “OK, lunch on Sunday. See you then.”
Emails also reveal that the Lutnick clan brought their children and a nanny to the island with them on December 23, 2012. The youngest child was seven years old.
And the files show that not long after the island lunch, Epstein obtained a copy of the résumé of Lutnick’s nanny, hoping to arrange a meeting.
We’re Open for Business
Documents reveal that just days after Lutnick visited Epstein’s island, on December 28, 2012, he and Epstein both signed to acquire stakes in a now-closed advertising technology company, AdFin Solutions.
Epstein signed on behalf of his Southern Trust Company — which received $25 million from the Rothschilds for consulting — and Lutnick on behalf of CVAFH I, a company of which he served as president.
It is reasonable to believe that Epstein and Lutnick discussed this deal on the island, completely contradicting Lutnick’s podcast proclamation to “never” be in a room with Epstein for social networking, business, or philanthropy.
Philanthropy and Hillary Clinton
Before becoming the 41st U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Lutnick served for over three decades as the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a global investment bank that partnered with the World Economic Forum, implemented ESG and DEI policies, and was an early player in carbon markets in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2017, Epstein was asked for a donation by organizers of a Wall Street dinner being hosted in Lutnick’s honor. Epstein obliged and pledged $50,000 to the function, securing him a prominent table and a mention in the event program.
“50k from me,” Epstein wrote, “[I] hope pr [public relations] is ok,” expressing concern over how the contribution may appear to the public.
But this was not Epstein and Lutnick’s only connection in the world of philanthropy and high-society networking. In 2016, during the presidential election, Lutnick personally emailed Epstein asking him to support the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. “I would like to invite you to attend a very intimate fundraising event with Hillary Clinton from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM…. (Contribution form is attached to this email.)”
A separate email contains a flyer Lutnick sent to Epstein promoting Hillary’s campaign stop at Cantor Fitzgerald.
Congressional Testimony
This week, Lutnick was called before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, to testify after the revelations. When pressed on his connections to Epstein, Lutnick admitted, “I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies.”
“I don’t recall why we did it,” he added.
The web of lies surrounding Lutnick and Epstein has created a firestorm of calls from both Republicans and Democrats for Lutnick’s resignation.
“He should just resign,” Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had the opposite take, saying, “Of course not. That’s absurd.” He later added, “I know Howard as an individual, and I trust his word on it.”
Conclusion
Remember that Lutnick was supposedly firm in his resolve to never be around Jeffrey Epstein after getting a tour of his Manhattan mansion: “I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy was there, I was not going,” he said.
As revealed in the files, though, Lutnick did associate with Epstein for social networking, business, and philanthropy. And the files provide absolute proof.
President Donald Trump, when asked about the scandal, said, “I was not aware of it. I actually have not spoken to him about it.”
