House Panel Asks for Deposition with Prince Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation
A American legislative body looking into sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he participate in an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.
In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, requested that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its inquiry.
The formal request to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his HRH style and opted to surrender his leased home in Windsor.
Files and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The oversight committee will examine accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request information on Epstein’s activities, circle, and connections based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It sought information from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any misconduct.
Content of the Letter
“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been reported that you went with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our concern 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 requests a response by 20 November.
Past Remarks and Cooperation
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the panel. The people deserves to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not hold the power to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not cooperate to US demands 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 check on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.
“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.
Appeals for Justice
The lawmaker said in a announcement that “wealthy and well-connected men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and provide redress for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for responsibility and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the current investigation. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive belated redress. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors show there is more to this story.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
