A newly dead whistleblower had evidence that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stayed close to Jeffrey Epstein for years longer than Lutnick admitted, and the pattern of people connected to Epstein dying keeps repeating.

• Simon Andries, a former Wall Street colleague of Lutnick's, used Lutnick's initials to search released Epstein files and found emails and records showing contact well past the 2005 cutoff Lutnick claimed publicly.
• The files show a 2018 email between Lutnick and Epstein about a shared startup investment, a 2012 family lunch on Epstein's island, and a 2013 business plan involving Prince Andrew, another Epstein-linked figure.
• Andries had already reported his allegations about Lutnick to the FBI before the files went public, and the FBI did nothing with the tip.
• He was found dead, reportedly by suicide, shortly after; he's one of several people connected to Epstein investigations or accusations who have died the same way.

Outlook: Expect more scrutiny of Lutnick and renewed pressure on the FBI and DOJ over how they've handled Epstein-linked evidence and witnesses.