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A US congressional body looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a communication published on Thursday, a California congressman, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its investigation.

The written appeal to answer questions comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and opted to surrender his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The committee will investigate claims of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s network, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any impropriety.

Content of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, 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 minors. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the recently revealed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our belief that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a answer by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Collaboration

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the oversight committee. The public has the right to know who was abusing women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not have the ability to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US demands 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 inquire on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a statement that “affluent and influential men have avoided justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to be honest and secure accountability for the survivors. We will not halt fighting for answerability and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his network of accomplices.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as media coverage of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the active inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive much-delayed redress. The monarchy’s actions removing Andrew of his styles suggest there is additional to this situation.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III officially made the change – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.