Epstein whistleblower who accused Trump official of ties to financier found dead

British banker Simon Andriesz, who raised allegations about business ties between U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was found dead last month.

Andriesz, 57, reportedly died by suicide on September 23, according to The Banker, which cited Andy Agathangelou, founder of the Transparency Task Force.

Andriesz was a former managing director of brokerage firm BGC Group, where Lutnick previously served as chief executive. He had spent years raising concerns about alleged accounting irregularities and undisclosed business links between Lutnick and Epstein.

The banker provided information to the FBI and the U.S. House Oversight Committee, including 2018 emails between Lutnick and Epstein discussing a startup in which both had investments.

Lutnick has denied having a relationship with Epstein and has condemned his crimes, although he acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island in 2012 during a family vacation.

Following Andriesz’s death, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority launched a review. The regulator had previously told him he did not qualify for whistleblower protection because his identity had become public, before later apologizing.

In an August post on X, Andriesz wrote that the personal consequences of being a whistleblower and the alleged retaliation that followed had been devastating for him and his family.