Congressional Committee Asks for Questioning with Prince Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation
A US congressional panel probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a document published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its inquiry.
The written appeal to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and opted to give up his property in Windsor.
Documents and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and travel logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The oversight committee will probe claims of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s activities, associates, and accomplices based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his association with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Details of the Request
“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been alleged that you traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private 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 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have key insights about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”
A announcement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a response by 20 November.
Earlier Statements and Assistance
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the oversight committee. The citizens should be able to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not hold the ability to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a foreign national.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US requests for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given absolutely no cooperation”.
Appeals for Accountability
The congressman said in a statement that “affluent and powerful men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and secure justice for the survivors. The committee will not cease fighting for accountability and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his gang of partners.”
Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the current inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will reveal that, and the survivors will receive long overdue justice. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles indicate there is further to this situation.”
The letter came on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.
