🔗 Share this article Congressional Committee Asks for Deposition with the Duke of York in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation A US congressional panel probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to questioning as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities. In a document made public on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling help with its probe. The written appeal to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and agreed to vacate his leased home in Windsor. Files and Accusations Mountbatten Windsor’s name features 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 survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse. “The oversight committee will probe allegations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s operations, associates, and connections based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a announcement. It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any misconduct. Substance of the Communication “It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said. It continued: “It has also been reported that you traveled 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 abusing young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the recently revealed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion 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 requests a answer by 20 November. Earlier Remarks and Assistance The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the panel. The people deserves to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.” However, the lawmaker does not hold the authority to compel the duke and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a non-US citizen. In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond 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 check on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any relevant law enforcement agency”. “It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered absolutely no cooperation”. Appeals for Accountability The lawmaker said in a statement that “affluent and powerful men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and provide justice for the affected individuals. We will not halt advocating for answerability and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.” Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the ongoing inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.” The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed redress. The monarchy’s actions removing Andrew of his titles indicate there is additional to this case.” The letter came on the same day the British king formally removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.