Congressional Panel Seeks Questioning with the Duke of York in Epstein Probe
A American legislative body probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its probe.
The formal request to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and consented to surrender his leased home in Windsor.
Documents and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The committee will examine accusations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s activities, associates, and associates based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any impropriety.
Substance 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 procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the recently revealed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have valuable information about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”
A statement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a response by 20 November.
Past Comments and Collaboration
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the committee. The public has the right to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the lawmaker does not hold the power to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force statements from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US appeals for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any relevant 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 absolutely no cooperation”.
Demands for Justice
The lawmaker said in a statement that “wealthy and powerful men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver accountability for the affected individuals. The committee will not stop fighting for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his network of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the current probe. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed justice. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his styles indicate there is further to this case.”
The letter came on the same day the British king publicly stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
