This photo of Lutnick on Epstein’s island was removed from Justice Department files


A photo released last month by the Justice Department as part of the Epstein files that showed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein’s island in the Caribbean has been removed from the Justice Department’s website.

The photo, which has been authenticated by CBS News, shows Epstein, Lutnick, and three other men standing over an oceanside cliff.

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, a nonprofit that preserves digital online content, downloaded the photo from the DOJ’s website on Jan. 31. It was also archived by Jmail, a web interface that was created to archive Epstein content.

The photo was released under file No. EFTA01230639 on the DOJ’s website, which now points to a “Page not found.”

CBS News has reached out to the Commerce Department and the DOJ for comment.

Jeffrey Epstein and Howard Lutnick

An undated photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Howard Lutnick (in blue shirt) on Epstein’s island.

U.S. Department of Justice / Internet Archive


Emails that were in the millions of newly released Epstein files showed that in 2012, Lutnick, his wife and their four children planned a visit to Little St. James, a private island where Epstein had an estate.


The Free Press: WATCH: The Epstein Tapes, Part II: The Eye of the Law


Lutnick was invited for lunch on Dec. 24, 2012, and later, Epstein’s assistant wrote on behalf of Epstein, “it was nice seeing you.”

Lutnick, testifying before a congressional committee earlier this month, acknowledged visiting there with his family.

“We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour,” Lutnick told lawmakers. “Then we left with all of my children, with my nannies and my wife all together. We were on family vacation. We were not apart. To suggest there was anything untoward about that in 2012, I don’t recall why we did it. But we did.”

Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and in the hearing said he had “nothing to hide — absolutely nothing.” 

In recent weeks, though, Lutnick has faced criticism for his ties to Epstein, who was his neighbor in New York City. Lutnick had previously claimed to have cut off contact with Epstein in 2005.

However, documents in the Epstein files showed the two were in business together as recently as 2014 over their shared dealings in a now-shuttered advertising company called Adfin. 

The Epstein files showed that the two communicated about Adfin as late as 2018, with Epstein writing to Lutnick, “on another note what do you think the prospects for adfin are??”   

Also in 2018, Lutnick emailed Epstein to apparently complain about an expansion plan for the Frick Collection art museum near their homes. 

Lutnick warned Epstein that the renovation might “block your sunlight and views.”

“You should put in a letter. I’m sending a lawyer. Don’t ignore this,” Lutnick wrote. 

Epstein died in jail in 2019 after his arrest on federal charges of sex trafficking. His death was ruled a suicide.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Here’s What the Supreme Court’s Decision Means for TPS Holders

    The Supreme Court on Thursday let the Trump administration end temporary protections that have allowed more than 350,000 people from Haiti and Syria to live and work legally in the…

    Supreme Court lets Trump turn away asylum seekers at the border

    The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can turn away asylum seekers who approach ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border, reversing a lower court decision that the…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Score a discounted Xbox console before the prices jump

    Score a discounted Xbox console before the prices jump

    UN agency pauses Hormuz ship evacuation initiative after vessel attacked | US-Israel war on Iran News

    UN agency pauses Hormuz ship evacuation initiative after vessel attacked | US-Israel war on Iran News

    NL to reverse policy blocking parents from children’s medical records

    Democratic socialists’ battleground test: From the Politics Desk

    Democratic socialists’ battleground test: From the Politics Desk

    All the Canadian Politics!

    Equinox Gold Secures Long-Term Land Access Agreements with All Three Communities at Los Filos Mine, Planning and Technical Work Underway to Support Mine Restart and Annual Production Expansion