Congressional Panel Requests Interview with Prince Andrew in Epstein Probe
A American legislative committee looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to an interview 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, asked that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its probe.
The written appeal to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and opted to surrender his rented residence in Windsor.
Records and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.
“The oversight committee will probe accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s network, network, and associates based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.
Details of the Letter
“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of harming underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have valuable information about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a reply by 20 November.
Earlier Remarks and Collaboration
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the committee. The people deserves to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not have the power to compel the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to cooperate to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had approached Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given no cooperation”.
Appeals for Transparency
The congressman said in a announcement that “wealthy and powerful men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and deliver accountability for the survivors. We will not halt pushing for answerability and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”
Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the current probe. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this story.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.
