Congressional Panel Seeks Deposition with Andrew in Epstein Investigation

A American legislative panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a document made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its inquiry.

The official demand to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and consented to surrender his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and flight logs secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The oversight committee will examine claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s network, circle, and associates based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been reported that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of abusing minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the recently revealed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Earlier Remarks and Collaboration

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the panel. The public should be able to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not have the authority to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a foreign national.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to reply to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s lawyers to check on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given zero cooperation”.

Appeals for Transparency

The lawmaker said in a announcement that “wealthy and powerful men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and secure redress for the affected individuals. The committee will not cease fighting for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the affected individuals will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors indicate there is more to this case.”

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