House Committee Asks for Deposition with the Duke of York in Epstein Investigation
A US congressional panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he participate in questioning as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.
In a communication published on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its probe.
The written appeal to answer questions comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and agreed to give up his property in Windsor.
Documents and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in records and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The panel will investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s operations, circle, and connections based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a press release.
It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any wrongdoing.
Details of the Letter
“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.
It continued: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of harming underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports 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 endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a reply by 20 November.
Past Statements and Cooperation
The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to give evidence before the oversight committee. The citizens should be able to know who was assaulting women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not have the authority to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to cooperate to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.
“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided no cooperation”.
Calls for Accountability
The congressman said in a statement that “rich and influential men have evaded justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver justice for the victims. We will not cease fighting for accountability and transparency for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the active inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.”
The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the affected individuals will receive belated accountability. The Royal Family’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles show there is further to this situation.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.
