House Committee Requests Interview with Andrew in Epstein Inquiry

A American legislative committee looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a communication released on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its inquiry.

The official demand to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and opted to vacate his rented residence in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and travel logs 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 abuse.

“The committee will investigate claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s operations, associates, and associates based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently vehemently rejected any misconduct.

Details of the Letter

“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been claimed that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have key insights about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

A statement regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a response by 20 November.

Past Statements and Assistance

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the oversight committee. The citizens deserves to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not hold the ability to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to check on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Accountability

The representative said in a statement that “wealthy and influential men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and secure accountability for the survivors. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for responsibility and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his gang of accomplices.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the active inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his honors indicate there is additional to this situation.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.