US Congressman Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify in Jeffrey Epstein Investigation
A Democratic Party congressman has publicly called for the ex-royal Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to testify before the House of Representatives investigative panel that is currently conducting an inquiry into the official handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Bipartisan Pressure for Evidence
The declaration from Ro Khanna, a California Democratic representative who serves on the investigative House oversight committee, comes after a UK trade minister, Chris Bryant, indicated that since Mountbatten Windsor has been stripped of his royal status, he should answer demands for information about his dealings with Epstein, an accused sex trafficker who took his own life while in government custody six years ago.
“Just as with any regular citizen, if there were requests from another jurisdiction of this kind, I would expect any decently minded person to comply with that request,” Bryant said.
Khanna commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the investigative committee. The people have a right to know who was exploiting women and minors with Epstein.”
Partisan Environment and Probe Progress
GOP members hold the majority in the House, but following public pressure over former President Trump’s management of the Epstein case approved an inquiry by the oversight committee into how the authorities managed his legal proceedings. Interest in the case surged in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s associates did not exist, and it would provide no additional information on the case.
The congressional probe has so far led to the publication of thousands of documents – including an explicit sketch reportedly drawn by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as depositions from ex-government leaders.
Legal Efforts and Challenges
As a member of the minority, Khanna does not have the power to compel Mountbatten Windsor’s testimony. Representatives for the Republican committee chairman, Chairman Comer, declined to comment about whether he believes the ex-royal should be interviewed.
The Democrat and Republican Congressman Massie have proposed legislation to mandate the disclosure of Epstein-related documents, but Mike Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has blocked a vote on it. The two congressmen have circulated a discharge petition that will require the bill be voted on, if a majority of representatives endorse it.
“This is what my effort with Representative Massie has been about: transparency and justice for the survivors who have been courageously speaking out,” the lawmaker said.
The petition has been signed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four GOP members. The final required 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 refused to do so until the House comes back into session, and says he will not tell representatives to return to Washington until the Senate approves a measure to resolve the federal shutdown.