Congressional Committee Seeks Interview with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Probe
A US congressional body probing sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a document published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its inquiry.
The formal request to answer questions comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and consented to give up his rented residence in Windsor.
Files and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and flight 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 panel will investigate claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s operations, associates, and connections based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Content of the Letter
“It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.
It continued: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting young girls. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our suspicion that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a response by 20 November.
Earlier Statements and Collaboration
The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the oversight committee. The citizens deserves to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not possess the authority to subpoena the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s legal team to check on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided zero cooperation”.
Calls for Justice
The representative said in a statement that “wealthy and influential men have evaded accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and provide accountability for the victims. Oversight Democrats will not cease pushing for responsibility and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of partners.”
Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the active probe. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed redress. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his honors show there is more to this situation.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king formally revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
