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A American legislative body looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a communication released on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its investigation.

The formal request to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and opted to give up his property in Windsor.

Records and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in papers and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The committee will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s activities, network, and accomplices based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting underage individuals. This intimate friendship 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 suspicion that you may have important details about the offenses 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 answer by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Assistance

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be called to testify before the oversight committee. The citizens should be able to know who was abusing women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not hold the authority to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige evidence from a foreign national.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had approached Andrew’s lawyers to follow up on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any suitable 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 “given no cooperation”.

Appeals for Transparency

The representative said in a statement that “affluent and well-connected men have evaded accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver justice for the victims. We will not halt advocating for accountability and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive belated redress. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his honors suggest there is additional to this situation.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.