House Panel Seeks Interview with Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A American legislative body probing sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a document made public on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its inquiry.
The formal request to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and opted to give up his property in Windsor.
Records and Claims
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in records and aviation records subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The panel will examine allegations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s network, network, and connections based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.
Content of the Letter
“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been alleged 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 alleged of assaulting young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our belief that you may have key insights about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A announcement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a response by 20 November.
Previous Remarks and Collaboration
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to give evidence before the panel. The public has the right to know who was abusing women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not possess the power to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to reply to US appeals for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to check on his previous pledge 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 public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.
Appeals for Accountability
The representative said in a statement that “rich and influential men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and secure accountability for the victims. We will not halt advocating for answerability and transparency for those affected of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”
Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current inquiry. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions stripping Andrew of his styles suggest there is more to this situation.”
The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III publicly made the alteration – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the monarch’s office released in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.
