House Committee Requests Questioning with Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry

A US congressional committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he participate in a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter released on Thursday, a California congressman, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its investigation.

The official demand to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and opted to surrender his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The oversight committee will examine accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s activities, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his association with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any misconduct.

Details of the Communication

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

It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting underage individuals. This close relationship 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 concern that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Past Comments and Collaboration

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the committee. The people has the right to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not have the authority to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US appeals for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to check on his previous pledge 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 “given zero cooperation”.

Calls for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a statement that “affluent and well-connected men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and deliver accountability for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not stop pushing for answerability and openness for victims of Epstein and his gang of accomplices.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the current investigation. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is further to this case.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.