House Committee Requests Interview with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Probe

A US congressional panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a document made public on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its probe.

The written appeal to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and consented to surrender his property in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and aviation records secured 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 investigate accusations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s activities, network, and connections based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It requested 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 repeatedly categorically denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Request

“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been reported that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our concern that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a answer by 20 November.

Previous Statements and Assistance

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the oversight committee. The public should be able to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not have the power to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot force statements from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US appeals for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his public commitment 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 assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given no cooperation”.

Appeals for Transparency

The representative said in a statement that “rich and influential men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and deliver accountability for the survivors. Oversight Democrats will not cease fighting for responsibility and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of co-conspirators.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the ongoing investigation. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will show that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed accountability. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles suggest there is further to this case.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III officially made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.