Congressional Committee Seeks Interview with Andrew in Epstein Probe
A US congressional panel looking into pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.
In a letter made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its probe.
The formal request to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and opted to surrender his rented residence in Windsor.
Documents and Claims
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The oversight committee will probe allegations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s operations, network, and connections based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his association with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any wrongdoing.
Substance of the Request
“It has been publicly reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.
It continued: “It has also been claimed that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting minors. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have important details about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”
A statement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a reply by 20 November.
Earlier Remarks and Collaboration
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be called to appear before the panel. The people has the right to know who was assaulting women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not hold the ability to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to check on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any relevant 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 “provided zero cooperation”.
Calls for Transparency
The lawmaker said in a announcement that “wealthy and well-connected men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and provide justice for the affected individuals. We will not stop advocating for accountability and clarity for victims of Epstein and his gang of accomplices.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the active investigation. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive much-delayed justice. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his honors suggest there is additional to this case.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the adjustment – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the crown office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
