Congressional Panel Asks for Interview with the Duke of York in Epstein Inquiry
A American legislative panel probing sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he undergo a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a letter made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its probe.
The official demand to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and consented to give up his property in Windsor.
Files and Claims
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The oversight committee will probe allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s activities, circle, and associates based on the men’s long-term and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Details of the Communication
“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of abusing underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange 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 partners in crime.”
A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a reply by 20 November.
Previous Comments and Assistance
The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the panel. The citizens should be able to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not hold the authority to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to cooperate to US requests for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.
Demands for Accountability
The congressman said in a announcement that “affluent and well-connected men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and deliver redress for the affected individuals. We will not stop pushing for accountability and openness for those affected of Epstein and his gang of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our investigation will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive belated justice. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles suggest there is more to this story.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king officially revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.