Congressional Committee Requests Deposition with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A American legislative committee looking into pedophile financier 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 probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.
In a document published on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s brother assist with its probe.
The official demand to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and opted to give up his property in Windsor.
Records and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.
“The committee will examine accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s activities, associates, and associates based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any wrongdoing.
Substance of the Request
“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been claimed that you journeyed 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 accused of assaulting underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication 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 accomplices.”
A notification regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a reply by 20 November.
Previous Comments and Assistance
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to testify before the committee. The public should be able to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not possess the ability to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a overseas individual.
In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to follow up on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.
“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given no cooperation”.
Calls for Transparency
The representative said in a announcement that “affluent and influential men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and provide accountability for the survivors. We will not halt advocating for accountability and transparency for those affected of Epstein and his gang of partners.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the active probe. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles show there is more to this story.”
The letter came on the same day the British king formally removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.
