Andrew summoned by US Congress to explain Jeffrey Epstein links
Members of the US Congress have written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor asking for an interview with him due to his “longstanding friendship” with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating the late financier’s “sex trafficking operations” and the U.S. government’s handling of the case, said it had identified “financial records containing notes such as ‘Massage for Andrew,’ which raise serious questions.”
Her letter to Andrew cited “well-documented allegations” regarding the former prince and accuser Virginia Giuffre, as well as statements in a recently revealed 2011 email in which Andrew told her “we are in this together.”
The committee said this “further confirms our suspicion that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr. Epstein and his associates” and requested a response by November 20.
The letter, signed by 16 members of Congress and sent to the Royal Lodge at Windsor, says: “The Committee is seeking to uncover the identities of Mr. Epstein’s accomplices and supporters and understand the full extent of his criminal operations.
“The well-documented allegations against you and your long-standing friendship with Mr. Epstein indicate that you may have knowledge of his activities relevant to our investigation.
“To ensure justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, we request that you cooperate with the committee’s investigation by sitting down for a written interview with the committee.”
This request is not a subpoena to compel Andrew to testify, but rather a request made on behalf of committee members.
It comes after the former Duke of York was officially stripped of his titles by his brother King Charles on Thursday. Last week, Buckingham Palace announced in Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir that Andrew would be evicted from his home at the Royal Lodge and that his HRH and prince titles would be stripped following new allegations against him.
Committee members had previously called on Andrew to come forward and answer questions about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in the US. Last week the BBC reported that at least four Democratic members had renewed calls for Andrew to testify, with some even suggesting he could do so via video link and with a lawyer present.
Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who represents some of Epstein’s victims, also called for Andrew to testify.
He told BBC News: “We need to hear his story and hear what he says about what happened, but he may also testify about other potential collaborators who were involved in inappropriate activities at mansions in the US.”
“So on both fronts, we want Andrew to come here and testify, both on behalf of other victims and potentially on behalf of himself.”
British Trade Minister Chris Bryant also previously told the BBC that he believed Andrew should go to the US to answer questions about Epstein.
“Like any ordinary member of the public, if there were such requests from another jurisdiction, I would expect any sane person to comply with that request,” he said. “So in this situation I feel exactly the same.
“Basically what I’m saying is that if Andrew was asked to do something by a Senate committee, then I would think he would want to comply.”
