House Panel Asks for Deposition with Prince Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Probe
A US congressional committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he undergo questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a communication released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s brother assist with its investigation.
The written appeal to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and opted to surrender his rented residence in Windsor.
Documents and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.
“The panel will examine accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s operations, associates, and connections based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any misconduct.
Content of the Communication
“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of harming minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have key insights about the crimes 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 answer by 20 November.
Past Statements and Collaboration
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the committee. The citizens deserves to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not have the ability to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force statements from a foreign national.
In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “ready to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given zero cooperation”.
Calls for Accountability
The congressman said in a comment that “rich and influential men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and secure redress for the survivors. The committee will not stop advocating for accountability 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 survivors, as well as media coverage of disclosed papers, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the active probe. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the survivors will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles show there is additional to this story.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.