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A American legislative body investigating sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he participate in an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a document published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its investigation.

The formal request to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and consented to surrender his rented residence in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and flight logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The committee will probe accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s network, associates, and associates based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested information from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any misconduct.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been publicly reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.

It continued: “It has also been alleged that you went with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting minors. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, along 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 key insights about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A statement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a response by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Cooperation

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to testify before the oversight committee. The citizens has the right to know who was assaulting women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the ability to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot force statements from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to reply to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s lawyers to check on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered no cooperation”.

Appeals for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a comment that “wealthy and influential men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to be honest and provide justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt advocating for accountability and openness for survivors of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the active investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can vindicate himself.”

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

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office published in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.