Congressional Panel Seeks Questioning with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A US congressional body looking into sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a document published on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its probe.
The formal request to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and agreed to give up his property in Windsor.
Documents and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.
“The panel will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s network, associates, and connections based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any wrongdoing.
Content of the Communication
“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting minors. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a answer by 20 November.
Past Comments and Assistance
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the committee. The public deserves to know who was assaulting women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not possess the ability to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US demands for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had approached Andrew’s lawyers to follow up on his public commitment that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered no cooperation”.
Calls for Accountability
The representative said in a comment that “rich and influential men have avoided justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and secure justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt advocating for accountability and openness for survivors of Epstein and his gang of partners.”
Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of disclosed papers, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current probe. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the survivors will receive belated justice. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this situation.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.