Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) used the case of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a billionaire financier currently facing criticism for lying about when he cut off ties with notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, as an example of “what we hate most about America.” In Gallego’s view, what we hate most is that Americans are largely governed by wealthy elites who follow their own rules, a situation that undermines the nation’s essential democratic principles.
Questioning Lutnick’s thought process (“what is going on with you, man?”), Gallego says that Lutnick knew he was in the wrong when he continued to associate with Epstein after the latter was convicted of crimes.
Gallego says of Lutnick: “Clearly, by the way, he felt guilty about it and he knew he did something wrong because he lied that he hadn’t seen [Epstein] post-2005.” Gallego asserts that Lutnick’s credibility issue is disqualifying.
“Now we’re expected to believe everything you said,” Gallego posits problematically, “when you actually lied to Congress already.”
Gallego: What happened in that decision-making process that said, “I’m going to allow this, and I need to associate myself with this man, knowing what I know right now?”
Lutnick knew he did something wrong because he lied about it. So clearly, you did something wrong. You knew… pic.twitter.com/CV3wYGVWky
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 12, 2026
[Note: Lutnick’s earlier denial over associating with Epstein beyond a certain date was seemingly contradicted by documents exposed in the latest batch of Epstein files released by the Justice Department.]
In an interview with Meidas Touch, Gallegos, a first-term Senator, derided the elite culture that controls so many of the levers of American society, the so-called “Epstein elites” who are “taking care to make sure that they continue to be in power” and who fear further revelations from the Epstein files.
In the Epstein case, with only co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and the late Epstein having gone to jail for what is alleged to have been a large-scale multi-year international trafficking operation, Gallego asks: “Where are all these other powerful men that raped — raped — and exploited these poor girls?”
Gallego concludes that “they’re not in jail because people like Howard Lutnick made excuses for them.”
There are pedophiles walking the streets because Trump and his cabinet secretaries will protect their elite buddies at all costs. pic.twitter.com/z5yJxvLsyU
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) February 12, 2026
Gallego also saw the occasion this week — when Maxwell refused to answer Congress’s questions — as yet another exercise of the privileges granted to the “Epstein elites.” (Pleading the Fifth is every American’s right, but talking privately with Todd Blanche, a DOJ official and former Trump personal lawyer, is not — that treatment belongs to the elite.)
Gallego is demanding as much transparency concerning the government’s secretive dealings with Maxwell as are required by the law compelling the Epstein files release that Lutnick was caught up in.
So Maxwell can chat with Trump’s former personal lawyer, but pleads the Fifth when Congress asks about Epstein’s co-conspirators. What did Trump promise her?
The DOJ needs to release records of their talks with Maxwell.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) February 9, 2026