US Commerce Secretary Lutnick caught in undisclosed Epstein ties
Newly surfaced emails contradict US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claims of ignorance regarding business ties to Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about the official overseeing American trade policy.
A British former executive has uncovered evidence that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick actively discussed a joint venture with Jeffrey Epstein in 2018, contradicting Lutnick's recent sworn testimony.
Simon Andriesz, a former managing director at BGC Partners, found the exchanges while searching the 3.5 million pages of recently released Epstein documents. Knowing Cantor Fitzgerald executives used initials, Andriesz searched for "HWL" and found a 2018 email where Epstein asked the account: "what do you think the prospects for adfin are?"
Lutnick replied directly: "Producing revenue finally. This is their year. Next 12 months they need to become economically self-sufficient." However, during a May hearing before the House Oversight Committee, Lutnick stated he only learned this year that Epstein had been a co-investor in the digital advertising firm.
The discrepancy has triggered a political crisis in Washington, with all 21 Democrats on the committee signing a letter demanding Lutnick's resignation. The US Commerce Department dismissed the allegations as "a desperate partisan distraction from the historic work of this Administration."
For European governments and investors, the controversy destabilises a key counterpart in transatlantic trade negotiations. As commerce secretary, Lutnick is the primary architect of US commercial policy, a role requiring deep diplomatic credibility with European allies at a time of shifting global tariffs.
Royal contacts targeted
The documents also expose a separate Cantor Fitzgerald scheme involving British royalty. Records detail a 2013 plan to loan £1m to a firm controlled by the then-Prince Andrew to secure exclusive rights to monetise his sovereign contacts. Andriesz described the proposal as a loan "to basically buy a prince."
The files show Epstein warned the prince's business aide against the deal's exclusivity clause. The four months of discussions ultimately collapsed, and Cantor Fitzgerald confirmed it did not go into business with the duke.
Andriesz's investigation stems from his own legal battles with BGC, a Cantor Fitzgerald subsidiary. He was sacked in 2017 after raising internal concerns about accounting irregularities, which later contributed to a $3m penalty from the US derivatives regulator. Andriesz won a $420,000 whistleblower award, but BGC denied retaliation, stating his employment ended because he abandoned his role.
Lutnick has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein. In his testimony, he told the committee: "I unequivocally condemn the conduct attributed to Jeffrey Epstein and everyone who participated in his illegal activities. The survivors of his crimes deserve our respect and support."
