Democrats demand Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s resignation over 250 mentions in Jeffrey Epstein’s files. Reid Hoffman appears 2,600 times. Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder who organized dinners introducing Epstein to Silicon Valley executives, donated $40 million to Democratic causes. Lutnick was a lifelong Democrat until switching to Trump in 2019, one year after his last documented contact with Epstein.
Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Jacky Rosen, and House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia demand Lutnick step down. Sen. Chris Van Hollen told Lutnick at his Feb. 10 Senate hearing that the issue isn’t wrongdoing but misrepresenting the relationship’s extent. Van Hollen received donations from Lutnick when Lutnick was a Democrat.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R) calls for Lutnick’s resignation. Massie co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act. No other Republicans call for his resignation, though Republicans have called for investigations.
The files mention Lutnick 250 times, documenting a relationship spanning 2005 to 2018. He visited Epstein’s island in December 2012 with his wife and four children. He invited Epstein to an “intimate” Hillary Clinton fundraiser at Cantor Fitzgerald in 2015. Their last documented contact was May 2018. Lutnick held his first Trump fundraiser in May 2019, raising over $5 million.
Hoffman appears 2,600 times in the Epstein files, more than any Silicon Valley figure. He called Epstein “very good friends” and stayed at Epstein’s island, New York townhouse, and New Mexico ranch. He organized a 2015 “wild” dinner introducing Epstein to Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel, then emailed participants to ensure “convo can continue.” No Democrat has called for the protesting or boycotting of Microsoft.
Hoffman donated $40 million total to left-leaning causes since 2020. He backs the Hopewell Fund, which gave $1 billion to Biden’s 2020 campaign, and continues funding Democrats through Welcome PAC. No Democrat has called for his resignation from Microsoft’s board.
Venture capitalist David Sacks told podcasters that when the New York Times writes about Epstein’s Silicon Valley infiltration, “Hoffman gets one passing mention.” The Wall Street Journal featured Hoffman prominently on its Feb. 7-8 front page. Sacks said the Times “clearly has a list of people they consider approved targets” who are “right-coded” while Democrat donors “are spared.”
Bill Clinton made 16-plus trips on Epstein’s private plane and appears in photos socializing on the island. Nine House Democrats voted to hold him in contempt, three voted contempt for Hillary Clinton. They agreed to Feb. 26-27 depositions only after the contempt threat. Nancy Pelosi defended the Clintons, saying they were “still negotiating.”
Emails released Feb. 9-10 show Epstein warning Musk in 2012 that the “ratio on my island might make Talilah uncomfortable.” He attended the 2015 Hoffman-organized dinner and scheduled island visits in 2012 and 2014. No Democrats have called for boycotting Tesla, X, Space X or Starlink.
Epstein claimed helping Bill Gates get drugs and antibiotics for sexually transmitted diseases. Zuckerberg attended the 2015 dinner and requested Epstein’s contact information. Epstein invested $40 million in Peter Thiel’s venture capital funds, with correspondence continuing through 2019. All face zero Democrat accountability.
Lutnick sued dying mentor Bernie Cantor in 1995-1996, claiming mental incapacity to wrestle control from the Cantor family. He became chairman after Cantor’s death in 1996. Wikipedia notes that “even in cutthroat Wall Street,” Lutnick had a “reputation for playing hardball.” Democrats continued to receive donations from him.
All of this occurred while Lutnick maintained his relationship with Epstein and donated to Democrats. He visited Epstein’s island in 2012, invited him to the Clinton fundraiser in 2015, and accepted a $50,000 Epstein donation to a charity honoring Lutnick in 2017. His last contact with Epstein was May 2018. Democrat response then: zero.
Peter Mandelson was fired as UK ambassador in September 2025, resigned from the Labour Party on Feb. 2, and resigned from the House of Lords on Feb. 5. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned Feb. 8 over recommending Mandelson’s appointment. Director of Communications Tim Allan resigned the same day. Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald resigned Feb. 12.
Prince Andrew was stripped of all royal titles and forced out of his royal estate. King Charles is ready to support police investigation into whether Andrew gave confidential information to Epstein. Starmer faces calls to resign from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Slovakia’s national security adviser Miroslav Lajčák resigned over texts discussing “gorgeous girls” with Epstein. Norway’s ex-ambassador to Jordan Mona Juul resigned after Epstein left $10 million to her children in his will. France’s former culture minister Jack Lang resigned as Arab World Institute head and faces tax investigation for Epstein financial links.
Larry Summers resigned from OpenAI’s board and took leave from Harvard in November 2025. Kathy Ruemmler, Obama’s White House counsel, resigned as Goldman Sachs general counsel on Feb. 13, 2026. Brad Karp stepped back as Paul Weiss chairman but stayed at the firm. That’s the entire US accountability list.
Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and JPMorgan Chase on Nov. 15, 2025. Democrats called it the “Epstein Hoax” and compared it to “Russia Russia Russia.”
After just two hours reviewing unredacted files on Feb. 10, Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna found six men with redacted names “likely incriminated.” The six include a high-ranking foreign government official, a well-known retired CEO, and four men born before 1970. Some have photographs in the files.
When accountability tracks donations instead of evidence, transparency becomes selection. Europe criminally investigates officials for Epstein ties while America protects mega-donors funding the party demanding a lifelong Democrat’s resignation for switching sides. The files don’t just expose individuals—they map who holds power to decide which exposure matters. Investigations should not be conducted based on the donations.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 