Congressional Panel Seeks Deposition with Prince Andrew in Epstein Probe
A US congressional panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a communication published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its inquiry.
The formal request to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and opted to surrender his leased home in Windsor.
Records and Accusations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in records and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.
“The panel will examine accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s network, circle, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It requested information from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.
Details of the Request
“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home 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, combined with the recently revealed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have key insights about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a reply by 20 November.
Earlier Statements and Assistance
The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the committee. The public deserves to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the congressman does not possess the power to subpoena the duke and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US authorities 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 approached Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his public commitment that he was “ready to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.
“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided zero cooperation”.
Demands for Justice
The congressman said in a statement that “affluent and powerful men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and provide justice for the survivors. We will not stop pushing for accountability and clarity for victims of Epstein and his gang of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is essential that Andrew assists with the current investigation. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive long overdue justice. The royal household’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this situation.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
