Congressional Panel Seeks Deposition with Andrew in Epstein Investigation

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

In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its probe.

The formal request to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and opted to give up his rented residence in Windsor.

Files and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and travel logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The panel will probe accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s operations, associates, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any impropriety.

Content of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined 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 valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

A notification regarding the letter said it was supported 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 asked to give evidence before the oversight committee. The people has the right to know who was assaulting women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not possess the power to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to cooperate to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had approached Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Accountability

The congressman said in a statement that “wealthy and well-connected men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver redress for the victims. Oversight Democrats will not stop advocating for accountability and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his network of co-conspirators.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as media coverage of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the active probe. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will show that, and the victims will receive much-delayed accountability. The Royal Family’s actions stripping Andrew of his styles indicate there is additional to this situation.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.