Congressional Panel Seeks Deposition with Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation
A American legislative body investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a communication published on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its probe.
The written appeal to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and agreed to give up his leased home in Windsor.
Documents and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and aviation records subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The panel will probe allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s activities, associates, and connections based on the men’s long-term and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his association with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any misconduct.
Substance of the Request
“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been alleged that you traveled 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 charged of harming minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 electronic correspondence 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 co-conspirators.”
A statement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a answer by 20 November.
Earlier Comments and Assistance
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the panel. The public should be able to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not have the authority to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot oblige evidence from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to check on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered absolutely no cooperation”.
Appeals for Justice
The lawmaker said in a announcement that “affluent and powerful men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and provide redress for the affected individuals. We will not halt fighting for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the active investigation. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will show that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed accountability. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his honors suggest there is more to this case.”
The letter was sent on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office released in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.
