House Panel Seeks Deposition with Andrew in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation

A US congressional panel looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he participate in a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a communication made public on Thursday, a California congressman, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, urged that King Charles III’s sibling help with its inquiry.

The formal request to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and consented to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The oversight committee will examine claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request information on Epstein’s network, circle, 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 details of his association with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any impropriety.

Substance of the Request

“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 guilty verdict 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 home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our concern that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Past Remarks and Cooperation

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

However, the lawmaker does not hold the authority to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige evidence from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to follow up on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided absolutely no cooperation”.

Appeals for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a comment that “affluent and well-connected men have evaded accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and provide redress for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt advocating for answerability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the current inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed justice. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors show there is additional to this story.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III publicly made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.