Lutnick and Epstein Maintained Business Ties Years After Public Disavowal, Documents Show
By Rob McConnell
TWATNews.com | The ‘X’ Chronicles | REL-MAR | CCBN – 2026-02-13
According to reporting verified by CBS News, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick maintained documented business and personal interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein years after Lutnick publicly claimed he had severed ties.
While Lutnick has stated he had only “limited interactions” with Epstein and that he and his wife cut off contact as early as 2005, documents released in the so-called Epstein files tell a more complex story—one involving business dealings, correspondence, and social interactions extending into the mid-2010s.
Business Dealings Continued Through 2014
CBS News reports that Epstein and Lutnick were jointly involved in a business transaction as recently as 2012. On December 28 of that year, both men signed a contract agreeing to acquire stakes in an advertising technology firm called Adfin, now defunct.
The contract shows Epstein signing on behalf of Southern Trust Company, Inc., while Lutnick signed for CVAFH I, a limited liability company. Their signatures appear on adjacent pages, and the documents list nine shareholders in total.
A source close to Lutnick told CBS News that Cantor Fitzgerald—where Lutnick served as chairman—was a minority investor in Adfin and that, as such, Lutnick would not necessarily have known the identities of all other investors. Still, the documentation confirms that Epstein and Lutnick were parties to the same agreement.
Contradictions With Public Statements
In October, Lutnick told the New York Post that after touring Epstein’s New York townhouse in 2005, he resolved never to be in the same room with Epstein again, describing him as “disgusting.”
However, emails reviewed by CBS News indicate the two men remained in contact. In 2011, Epstein and Lutnick arranged phone calls and discussed meeting for drinks. In 2012, Lutnick, his wife Allison, and their four children planned a visit to Epstein’s private island, Little St. James.
Emails show Epstein invited Lutnick to lunch on December 24, 2012. Shortly afterward, Epstein’s assistant wrote, “it was nice seeing you.” The Adfin agreement was signed just four days later.
Ongoing Correspondence and Property Ties
Correspondence relating to Adfin continued until at least 2014. In one instance, shareholder David Mitchell emailed Epstein regarding additional fundraising that involved Cantor Ventures, a venture capital arm of Cantor Fitzgerald.
The relationship between the two men also included significant real estate ties. In 1996, Epstein sold a Manhattan property at 11 East 71st Street to Comet Trust. Two years later, that entity sold the property to Lutnick, who made it his primary residence—located next door to Epstein’s own New York mansion.
Post-Conviction Context
By the time Epstein and Lutnick entered the Adfin deal, Epstein had already pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges involving the prostitution of a minor. Though broader allegations of sex trafficking were widely reported at the time, Epstein was not federally charged until 2019, when he was arrested on sex trafficking charges. He died in jail weeks later.
Political and Public Relations Fallout
In response to CBS News reporting, a spokesperson for the Commerce Department dismissed the coverage as a distraction, stating:
“This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments including securing trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals, and fighting for the American worker.”
The spokesperson added that Lutnick “had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
Still, the release of the Epstein files has prompted renewed scrutiny of powerful figures who publicly distanced themselves from Epstein while privately maintaining contact. Emails show Epstein himself was aware of the reputational risks he posed. In 2017, he agreed to donate $50,000 to a dinner honoring Lutnick but expressed concern about public relations implications.
“hope pr is ok,” Epstein wrote in an email to hedge fund manager John Paulson, declining to take a donor table and suggesting Lutnick fill the seats instead.
Continued Contact Into 2018
The relationship appeared to continue into 2018, when Lutnick emailed Epstein about an expansion plan for the neighboring Frick Collection, warning that renovations could block Epstein’s “sunlight and views.”
“You should put in a letter. I’m sending a lawyer. Don’t ignore this,” Lutnick wrote.
A Pattern Under Renewed Scrutiny
As CBS News notes, Lutnick is one of many prominent figures now being asked to reconcile public denials with documentary evidence suggesting relationships with Epstein that were longer and closer than previously acknowledged.
While no criminal wrongdoing has been alleged against Lutnick, the records underscore the growing demand for transparency from public officials whose past associations intersect with one of the most notorious criminal cases of the modern era.
Email Rob McConnell at admin@rel-mar.com