Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has clarified the extent of his interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, describing a strictly superficial relationship defined by proximity rather than personal or professional ties.
Details emerging from a closed-door House committee interview reveal that while the two were neighbors for nearly fifteen years, their encounters were sparse and often left Lutnick feeling uneasy.
According to a person familiar with the testimony, Lutnick purchased his property in 1997 but did not relocate there until 2005, once renovations were finished.
From that point until 2019, he and Epstein lived as neighbors. Despite the long timeframe, Lutnick maintains that no meaningful bond ever formed between them.
The Secretary recounted only three specific meetings with the late financier. The first occurred shortly after Lutnick moved in, when he and his wife joined Epstein for a brief 10-to-15-minute coffee.
READ: The Sealed Goodbye: Epstein’s Alleged Suicide Note Surfaces In Court Records
During a short tour of the residence, Lutnick observed a massage table. This encounter reportedly led Lutnick to decide immediately that he wanted no further personal or professional association with Epstein.
A second meeting took place under different circumstances while Lutnick was vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his family.
Epstein’s assistant reached out to invite them to lunch, an outreach Lutnick found “unsettling” as he did not know how the assistant became aware of his location. Lutnick attended a short lunch accompanied by family and friends but did not pursue further contact.
The meeting was purely functional, involving a discussion regarding scaffolding located in Epstein’s foyer. Throughout these limited interactions, Lutnick stated he never saw Epstein in the company of young women and never witnessed any inappropriate behavior.
The Secretary’s account emphasizes that while the two men shared a property line for over a decade, their lives remained largely separate.
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