House Panel Requests Deposition with the Duke of York in Epstein Probe
A US congressional panel looking into sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.
In a letter published on Thursday, a California congressman, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its inquiry.
The official demand to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and consented to give up his rented residence in Windsor.
Documents and Allegations
Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and travel logs 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 abuse.
“The panel will probe allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s activities, network, and accomplices based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.
It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any impropriety.
Details of the Letter
“It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.
It added: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of harming underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”
A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a answer by 20 November.
Past Statements and Assistance
The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be called to testify before the oversight committee. The people should be able to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
However, the representative does not hold the ability to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force statements from a non-US citizen.
In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.
“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided absolutely no cooperation”.
Calls for Transparency
The lawmaker said in a comment that “wealthy and well-connected men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure justice for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for accountability and openness for victims of Epstein and his network of co-conspirators.”
Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the current investigation. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.”
The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will demonstrate that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors indicate there is further to this case.”
The letter was issued on the same day the British king officially revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.
