House Panel Seeks Questioning with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Probe

A US congressional committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a communication released on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its inquiry.

The formal request to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and opted to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in papers and flight logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The oversight committee will probe claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s activities, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Details of the Letter

“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of abusing minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

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

Earlier Comments and Cooperation

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be called to appear before the oversight committee. The public should be able to know who was assaulting women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not hold the ability to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a foreign national.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s legal team to check on his public commitment that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Transparency

The lawmaker said in a comment that “affluent and influential men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to be honest and secure justice for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not cease advocating for answerability and openness for those affected of Epstein and his network of co-conspirators.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the ongoing investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed accountability. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors indicate there is further to this case.”

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