House Committee Asks for Questioning with the Duke of York in Epstein Probe

A American legislative body probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a communication made public on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its investigation.

The official demand to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and opted to surrender his property in Windsor.

Records and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and flight logs subpoenaed 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 abuse.

“The committee will investigate accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s network, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

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

Content of the Letter

“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of harming underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 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 wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A statement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a reply by 20 November.

Past Comments and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the committee. The citizens deserves to know who was assaulting women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the authority to subpoena the duke and Congress itself cannot force statements from a foreign national.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any relevant 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 “provided zero cooperation”.

Calls for Justice

The lawmaker said in a announcement that “affluent and influential men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and deliver accountability for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for answerability and clarity for victims of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of disclosed papers, “it is vital that Andrew works together with the ongoing investigation. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the affected individuals will receive belated accountability. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles indicate there is additional to this story.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the change – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.