• Senator John Kennedy confronted Attorney General Pam Bondi about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick calling Jeffrey Epstein “the greatest blackmailer ever.”
• Lutnick’s claims directly contradict Justice Department findings that no evidence exists of Epstein running a sexual blackmail operation.
• Kennedy threatened to haul Lutnick before the Senate Judiciary Committee after Bondi said she hadn’t interviewed the Cabinet member.

A Heated Exchange on Capitol Hill

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi about explosive comments Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made regarding Jeffrey Epstein during an October 1 interview with The New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast.

Lutnick, who was Epstein’s next-door neighbor in Manhattan—their townhomes shared a wall—told podcast host Miranda Devine that “This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever. Blackmail people. That’s how he had money.”

The Commerce Secretary’s assertion stands in stark contrast to the Justice Department’s July memo stating there is “no credible evidence” that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals or maintained a so-called “client list.”

The Neighbor’s Account

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In the interview, Lutnick described visiting Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and encountering a massage table as the centerpiece of the home. When he asked how often Epstein received massages, the financier allegedly replied “Every day” before adding in a whisper, “And the right kind of massage.”

“I say to him, ‘Massage table in the middle of your house?'” Lutnick recalled. He said he and his wife immediately left and vowed never to be in the same room as Epstein again, calling him “gross” and a “disgusting person.”

Lutnick went further, claiming that wealthy associates participated in Epstein’s activities: “What happened in that massage room, I assume, was on video. This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever.”

The Commerce Secretary even speculated that Epstein may have traded alleged blackmail videos for the lenient 18-month sentence he received in his 2008 Florida plea deal. “How could he get 18 months and be able to go to his office during the day and have visitors and stuff? There must have been a trade.”

DOJ Contradictions

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Kennedy methodically walked Bondi through Lutnick’s claims, asking if she had reviewed the interview transcript. Bondi acknowledged seeing a clip of it but said she had not reviewed the full transcript or interviewed Lutnick about his statements.

When Kennedy pressed whether the blackmail allegations were true, Bondi fell back on official talking points: “Senator, as our July memo said, we did not uncover evidence. This case has gone through three administrations, as well as former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta—”

“I know, I know, I know that, Pam!” Kennedy interjected. “But have you interviewed Secretary Lutnick?”

“No, Senator,” Bondi replied.

When asked if she planned to interview him, Bondi responded cautiously: “Senator, if Howard Lutnick wants to speak to the FBI, and if Director Patel wants to speak to Howard Lutnick, absolutely.”

Kennedy’s frustration was palpable. “Don’t you think you ought to talk to him after this interview?” he demanded before issuing his threat: “Maybe we ought to get Mr. Lutnick in here too, Mr. Chairman.”

FBI Director’s Conflicting Testimony

The controversy deepens because FBI Director Kash Patel testified last month that there is “no credible information” Epstein trafficked young women to anyone besides himself. When asked by Kennedy who Epstein trafficked to, Patel replied: “Himself. There is no credible information. None. If there were, I would bring the case yesterday.”

Lutnick’s claims directly contradict his own administration’s official position, creating what one analyst called “a complete unforced error” for the Trump Cabinet.

Congressional Pressure Mounts

Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said he would support subpoenaing Lutnick following his “explosive” claims.

“Those were some incredible comments, and I think that it just reinforces why it’s so important that we get the full files released by the DOJ and the Trump administration,” Garcia told CNN.

House Democrats sent a letter to Lutnick on October 2 requesting his testimony before Congress. The letter notes that his “immediate determination that Epstein was a ‘disgusting person’ based on a single interaction is important. This raises questions whether others in Epstein’s longtime orbit, particularly those with ongoing social or professional ties, may have been aware of his abusive behavior.”

A Contentious Hearing

The Epstein exchange was just one flashpoint during Bondi’s first Senate Judiciary Committee hearing since her confirmation. Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat, accused Bondi of claiming to have Epstein’s client list on her desk earlier this year, only to release already public information instead.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the DOJ for appearing to ignore hundreds of suspicious activity reports: “You seemed to have looked at zero of those suspicious activity reports related to Jeffrey Epstein.”

Bondi defended her record, saying the Justice Department under her leadership has refocused on combating illegal immigration and violent crime. Committee Chair Senator Chuck Grassley praised her approach: “When you arrived, you were left with a Justice Department [in] free fall.”

Should Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick be required to testify under oath about his knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged blackmail operations?

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