House Panel Seeks Interview with Prince Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Probe
A US congressional panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a communication released on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling help with its investigation.
The formal request to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and agreed to give up his rented residence in Windsor.
Documents and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The committee will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s activities, network, and connections based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Details of the Communication
“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of abusing young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, along with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have key insights about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a response by 20 November.
Earlier Remarks and Cooperation
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to testify before the committee. The people should be able to know who was assaulting women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not have the ability to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to reply to US appeals for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to check on his public commitment that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered no cooperation”.
Demands for Justice
The lawmaker said in a announcement that “wealthy and powerful men have avoided justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to be honest and secure accountability for the victims. We will not halt fighting for accountability and openness for those affected of Epstein and his group of co-conspirators.”
Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the current investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive long overdue accountability. The royal household’s actions stripping Andrew of his honors suggest there is additional to this case.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.