US Lawmaker Calls On Former Prince Andrew to Testify in Epstein Investigation

A Democratic congressman has demanded the former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to appear before the US House of Representatives investigative panel that is carrying out an investigation into the government’s handling of the Epstein case.

Bipartisan Pressure for Evidence

The statement from Congressman Khanna, a California Democratic representative who is a member of the investigative House oversight committee, comes after a UK trade minister, Chris Bryant, suggested that since the former prince has been stripped of his royal status, he should answer demands for information about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, an accused sex trafficker who died by suicide while in federal custody six years ago.

“Just as with any regular citizen, if there were formal requests from overseas of this kind, I would anticipate any decently minded person to comply with that request,” the minister said.

The congressman commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the oversight committee. The people have a right to know who was exploiting women and minors with Epstein.”

Political Landscape and Investigation Developments

Republicans control the majority in the House of Representatives, but following public pressure over former President Trump’s management of the Epstein matter approved an inquiry by the House committee into how the authorities managed his legal proceedings. Public interest surged in July, after the justice department revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s sex trafficking clients did not exist, and it would share nothing further on the case.

The congressional probe has so far led to the publication of thousands of documents – including a lewd drawing reportedly drawn by Trump for Epstein’s birthday – as well as depositions from ex-government leaders.

Legislative Efforts and Obstacles

As a minority party member, the representative lacks the authority to compel Mountbatten Windsor’s testimony. Representatives for the committee’s Republican chair, James Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he believes the former prince should be questioned.

Khanna and Republican Congressman Massie have proposed legislation to mandate the disclosure of Epstein-related documents, but Mike Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has refused to bring it up for a vote. The two congressmen have circulated a discharge petition that will require the bill be voted on, if 218 members of the House sign it.

“This is what my effort with Congressman Massie has been about: openness and justice for the victims who have been bravely sharing their stories,” the lawmaker said.

The petition has been endorsed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four Republicans. The 218th signature is expected to be Representative-elect Grijalva, who won a special election in Arizona last month, and awaits inauguration by the Speaker. However, the speaker has declined to act until the House comes back into session, and has stated he won’t instruct lawmakers to return to Washington until the Senate approves a measure to resolve the federal shutdown.