Congressional Panel Asks for Interview with Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A American legislative committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he undergo a deposition as part of its investigation into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a document made public on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, asked that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its inquiry.
The written appeal to answer questions comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and agreed to give up his rented residence in Windsor.
Documents and Claims
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The committee will probe claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s operations, circle, and connections based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Substance of the Letter
“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for soliciting minors for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.
It continued: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of abusing young girls. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our concern that you may have valuable information about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”
A statement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a answer by 20 November.
Previous Remarks and Collaboration
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the oversight committee. The public deserves to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not have the ability to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.
Calls for Justice
The representative said in a announcement that “rich and powerful men have evaded justice for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and provide justice for the survivors. We will not stop pushing for accountability and clarity for victims of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”
Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the current inquiry. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will reveal that, and the victims will receive long overdue redress. The Royal Family’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles indicate there is additional to this case.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the alteration – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the crown office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.