Congressional Panel Asks for Deposition with the Duke of York in Epstein Inquiry
A American legislative committee investigating sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a communication made public on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its probe.
The written appeal to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and opted to vacate his rented residence in Windsor.
Records and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and flight logs secured from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The panel will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s network, circle, and associates based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Content of the Communication
“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for soliciting minors for sex work,” the letter said.
It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of abusing underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our concern that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”
A statement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a reply by 20 November.
Previous Comments and Cooperation
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the panel. The public has the right to know who was abusing women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not possess the power to subpoena the duke and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to reply to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to follow up 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 followed through with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given absolutely no cooperation”.
Calls for Accountability
The lawmaker said in a announcement that “wealthy and well-connected men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and provide redress for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not stop pushing for responsibility and transparency for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”
Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the ongoing probe. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive long overdue justice. The monarchy’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this story.”
The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III officially made the adjustment – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.