House Committee Asks for Interview with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A US congressional committee probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a letter published on Thursday, a California congressman, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its investigation.
The formal request to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and opted to surrender his leased home in Windsor.
Records and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The committee will investigate claims of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request information on Epstein’s operations, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any impropriety.
Details of the Communication
“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for procuring minors for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.
It continued: “It has also been reported that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have key insights about the crimes 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 Statements and Assistance
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to appear before the oversight committee. The citizens should be able to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not possess the authority to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond 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 legal team to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any appropriate 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 “given zero cooperation”.
Appeals for Accountability
The representative said in a comment that “affluent and powerful men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and deliver accountability for the victims. We will not halt fighting for responsibility and openness for those affected 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 leaked documents, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the current probe. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive long overdue redress. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is further to this case.”
The letter came on the same day the British king formally revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office released in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.
