Congressional Panel Asks for Questioning with Prince Andrew in Epstein Probe
A American legislative body investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a document published on Thursday, a California congressman, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its probe.
The formal request to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his HRH style and agreed to vacate his property in Windsor.
Records and Claims
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and travel logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The panel will investigate claims of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s network, circle, and associates based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.
Details of the Letter
“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction 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 private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of harming underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our suspicion that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a answer by 20 November.
Previous Remarks and Cooperation
The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the panel. The public should be able to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not hold the authority to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US appeals for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had approached Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided no cooperation”.
Demands for Justice
The lawmaker said in a comment that “rich and well-connected men have avoided justice for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to be honest and secure accountability for the victims. The committee will not cease advocating for answerability and clarity for victims of Epstein and his network of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the active investigation. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive much-delayed accountability. The Royal Family’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles indicate there is more to this situation.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.