House Panel Requests Interview with Andrew in Epstein Inquiry
A US congressional body investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a communication published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its investigation.
The written appeal to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and opted to give up his leased home in Windsor.
Documents and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and aviation records subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The oversight committee will probe accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s operations, network, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It requested information from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Substance of the Request
“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting young girls. This strong bond 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 key insights 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 Remarks and Cooperation
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the committee. The citizens should be able to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not possess the power to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US appeals 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 check on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided absolutely no cooperation”.
Appeals for Transparency
The congressman said in a announcement that “rich and well-connected men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and provide justice for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not cease fighting for responsibility and clarity for victims of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as media coverage of leaked documents, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the ongoing inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed justice. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors suggest there is additional to this case.”
The letter came on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.