Congressional Committee Seeks Questioning with Andrew in Epstein Investigation
A American legislative committee probing pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.
In a letter made public on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its inquiry.
The formal request to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and consented to give up his property in Windsor.
Records and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in records and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The committee will probe allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s operations, circle, and connections based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It sought information from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his association with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Details of the Communication
“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of abusing young girls. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the freshly uncovered 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a response by 20 November.
Past Comments and Cooperation
The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to appear before the panel. The people deserves to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not possess the ability to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot force statements from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to check on his earlier promise that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered absolutely no cooperation”.
Calls for Accountability
The representative said in a statement that “wealthy and well-connected men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver accountability for the victims. We will not stop advocating for answerability and transparency for those affected of Epstein and his network of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing 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 active probe. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the victims will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his titles show there is additional to this story.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III publicly made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
