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A US congressional panel investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its probe.

The formal request to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and consented to surrender his leased home in Windsor.

Records and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

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

It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.

Details of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you went with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting minors. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have important details about the wrongdoings 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 demands a answer by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the committee. The public deserves to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not hold the ability to subpoena the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a overseas individual.

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

“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.

Demands for Justice

The lawmaker said in a announcement that “wealthy and powerful men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt pushing for responsibility and transparency for victims of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of disclosed papers, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the ongoing investigation. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive long overdue accountability. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this situation.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the monarch’s office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.