House Panel Seeks Deposition with Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation
A American legislative committee probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he undergo questioning as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a document released on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its inquiry.
The official demand to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and consented to give up his rented residence in Windsor.
Documents and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and travel logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.
“The committee will investigate claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s network, associates, and connections based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.
It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Substance of the Request
“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.
It continued: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of harming underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our concern that you may have valuable information about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a response by 20 November.
Earlier Comments and Collaboration
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the committee. The public deserves to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not possess the authority to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to cooperate to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to check on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered absolutely no cooperation”.
Demands for Accountability
The congressman said in a comment that “affluent and influential men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and provide accountability for the victims. We will not halt pushing for answerability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his network of accomplices.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is vital that Andrew works together with the ongoing inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can clear his name.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed redress. The royal household’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles indicate there is additional to this situation.”
The letter came on the same day the British king officially stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the adjustment – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office released in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.
