House Panel Asks for Interview with Andrew in Epstein Probe

A American legislative committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its investigation.

The official demand to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and consented to vacate his rented residence in Windsor.

Documents and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and aviation records subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The panel will investigate accusations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s operations, associates, and connections based on the men’s long-term and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any misconduct.

Details of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 sentencing for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of harming young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a reply by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the committee. The citizens has the right to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the ability to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US demands for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided absolutely no cooperation”.

Demands for Accountability

The congressman said in a announcement that “wealthy and influential men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and deliver accountability for the victims. We will not halt pushing for accountability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as media coverage of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the ongoing probe. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our investigation will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive much-delayed redress. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles show there is more to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.