House Committee Asks for Questioning with Prince Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A American legislative committee probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.
In a document made public on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its inquiry.
The written appeal to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and agreed to give up his property in Windsor.
Documents and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The panel will probe claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s network, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Details of the Letter
“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for soliciting minors for sex work,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A statement regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a reply by 20 November.
Previous Statements and Assistance
The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the oversight committee. The public deserves to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not have the power to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not cooperate to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered no cooperation”.
Demands for Accountability
The congressman said in a statement that “affluent and powerful men have evaded accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and provide justice for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not stop pushing for accountability and clarity for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”
Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the current investigation. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the victims will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his styles show there is more to this case.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally removed Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the change – 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.
