🔗 Share this article

A US congressional body looking into pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a communication released on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its probe.

The written appeal to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his HRH style and consented to vacate his property in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

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

“The committee will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s activities, associates, and associates based on the men’s long-term and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been widely 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 commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our suspicion that you may have important details 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 response by 20 November.

Past Comments and Cooperation

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the committee. The citizens deserves to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not possess the authority to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a overseas individual.

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

“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given zero cooperation”.

Calls for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment 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 secure accountability for the victims. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for responsibility and openness for victims of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the ongoing probe. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the survivors will receive belated redress. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his titles indicate there is more to this case.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.