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A American legislative committee probing pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he participate in an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a document published on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its inquiry.

The formal request to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and opted to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

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

“The panel will examine accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s activities, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It requested 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 vehemently rejected any misconduct.

Content of the Communication

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

It stated further: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, 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 underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, along with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have key insights about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Past Comments and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the oversight committee. The people deserves to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not hold the power to compel the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to cooperate to US appeals for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to follow up on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

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

Calls for Transparency

The representative said in a announcement that “rich and well-connected men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure justice for the victims. The committee will not halt advocating for answerability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is vital that Andrew works together with the current investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed accountability. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his titles show there is further to this case.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the alteration – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.