In a significant departure from the DOJ’s statements, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently suggested that deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein was “the greatest blackmailer ever”, hinting that he might have exchanged video recordings of his wealthy associates receiving massages for a controversial plea deal in 2008.
Lutnick made these startling claims during an interview with The Post’s Miranda Devine in the latest installment of “Pod Force One”.
During their conversation, Lutnick, age 64, recounted a moment when Epstein showcased his infamous “massage room” while giving him and his wife a tour of his notorious townhouse on East 71st Street after they moved in next door in 2005.
“I asked him, ‘You have a massage table in your house? How frequently do you get a massage?’” Lutnick recalled. “He replied, ‘Every day.’ Then he leaned in closely and said, ‘And the right kind of massage.’”
Lutnick stated that he and his wife hastily exited Epstein’s residence, ultimately deciding during the short walk home that they would never engage with him again. “In those six or eight steps to our house, we agreed that I would never be in the company of that revolting individual again,” he said.
When Devine inquired if Epstein’s affluent associates — such as Prince Andrew and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates — could remain ignorant of the behavior Lutnick witnessed, he responded, “They participated.”
“His approach was to offer massages. ‘Get a massage, get a massage,’ and I presume that whatever unfolded in that massage room was recorded on video,” Lutnick asserted. “This man was the ultimate blackmailer, and that’s how he financed his lifestyle.”
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A representative for Bill Gates commented to The Post, stating: “This is completely untrue. Gates engaged with Epstein solely to discuss philanthropy and nothing beyond that.”
Lutnick further speculated, “I assume that back when they bargained for those videos in exchange for the 18-month sentence, which allowed Epstein to have visitors and access to his office during the day. How can a serial sex offender receive only 18 months while being able to move freely? There must have been an exchange.”
“So, while I have no firsthand knowledge, I presume there was a deal concerning the videos, as there were individuals featured in them,” he claimed.
The DOJ and FBI published a memorandum on July 6 asserting that a systematic examination revealed that Epstein did not maintain a “client list” of influential individuals.
The memo also indicated there was “no credible evidence” discovered that Epstein had blackmailed notable figures as part of his activities or that any evidence warranted an investigation into uncharged third parties, despite Epstein’s extensive victimization of over a thousand individuals.
Epstein, who was 66 at the time, was found deceased in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting a federal trial for sex trafficking.
More than ten years earlier, he had been compelled in 2008 to register as a sex offender and plead guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution and engaging in sexual conduct with a minor as part of a deal that allowed him to serve only 13 months in confinement, mainly on work release.
In South Florida, the US Attorney’s Office led by Alex Acosta entered a non-prosecution agreement due to issues with evidence to make Epstein plead to state charges. Acosta has since expressed regret regarding the terms of this deal not being upheld.
“The initial proposal from the Palm Beach State Attorney’s office — which included no jail time or sex offender registry — was unacceptable to Acosta and his team,” stated Jeffrey Neiman, an attorney who represented the former Miami prosecutor during a recent House panel inquiry.
Neiman further described that “Mr. Acosta bore the responsibility for accepting the final agreement, acknowledging that relying on the state system was a miscalculation,” emphasizing that the sentencing and registration sent a message to the community about the unacceptable nature of Epstein’s actions.
Two years ago, a photo purportedly taken by Epstein surfaced showing him with Gates at the latter’s Seattle office in March 2014 — six years following Epstein’s registration as a sex offender and prior incarceration.
Gates first met Epstein face-to-face at a dinner in January 2011 at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, as reported by The New York Times.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, President Trump maintained a close relationship with Epstein but revealed this year that he cut ties with him in 2007 upon discovering that Epstein was recruiting staff from the spa at Mar-a-Lago.
“People were being taken from the spa and hired by him,” Trump relayed to reporters aboard Air Force One on July 29. “Upon learning this, I informed him, ‘We don’t want you taking our staff,’ whether for massage or otherwise. He agreed, but shortly thereafter he did it again, and I said, ‘Out you go.’”
