Overview

• Howard Lutnick told the New York Post's Pod Force One that Epstein was the "greatest blackmailer ever," recounting a 2005 tour of a "massage room" and speculating without evidence that videos were traded for Epstein’s 2008 plea deal.
• The Justice Department and FBI said in a July memo they found no client list and no credible evidence of Epstein blackmailing prominent individuals, a conclusion FBI Director Kash Patel reiterated in recent testimony.
• Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on House Oversight, said the committee needs to question Lutnick and voiced support for subpoenaing him to explain his statements.
• A spokesperson for Bill Gates called Lutnick’s implication "absolutely false," and no corroborating materials or recordings have been produced publicly to support the claims.
• Lutnick’s remarks undercut the Trump administration’s posture on the case and add to bipartisan calls for transparency on Epstein-related records.