🔗 Share this article House Committee Requests Interview with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry A American legislative committee looking into pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s criminal operations. In a communication made public on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s sibling help with its probe. The official demand to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and opted to surrender his rented residence in Windsor. Files and Accusations Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in papers and flight logs secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct. “The committee will investigate accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s activities, circle, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement. It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any misconduct. Details of the Communication “It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said. It continued: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of harming young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our concern that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.” A announcement regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a reply by 20 November. Past Statements and Assistance The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the panel. The people deserves to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.” However, the congressman does not possess the power to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a overseas individual. In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US requests 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 attorneys to follow up on his public commitment that he was “willing 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 no cooperation”. Demands for Accountability The congressman said in a comment that “rich and powerful men have evaded accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and provide accountability for the affected individuals. The committee will not cease fighting for answerability and transparency for those affected of Epstein and his network of co-conspirators.” Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew works together with the ongoing investigation. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.” The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the victims will receive much-delayed justice. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors show there is more to this case.” The letter came on the same day the British king formally revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.