US Congressman Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry

A Democratic representative has demanded the former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to testify before the House of Representatives investigative panel that is currently conducting an investigation into the official handling of the Epstein case.

Cross-Party Demands for Evidence

The statement from Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative from California who serves on the 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 dealings with Epstein, an alleged sex trafficker who took his own life while in federal custody six years ago.

“Just as with any ordinary member of the public, if there were requests from another jurisdiction of this kind, I would expect any decently minded person to honor that request,” the minister said.

Khanna commented: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the investigative committee. The people have a right to know who was exploiting women and minors with Epstein.”

Political Environment and Investigation Progress

GOP members hold the majority in the House of Representatives, but amid public outcry over Donald Trump’s handling of the Epstein matter approved an inquiry by the oversight committee into how the government handled his prosecutions. Interest in the case surged in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a much-rumored list of Epstein’s associates was non-existent, and it would provide no additional information on the case.

The congressional probe has thus far resulted in the release of thousands of documents – including an explicit sketch apparently made by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as sworn statements from ex-government leaders.

Legal Actions and Obstacles

As a minority party member, the representative lacks the authority to subpoena the former prince’s appearance. Spokespeople for the committee’s Republican chair, Chairman Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he believes the ex-royal should be questioned.

The Democrat and Republican Congressman Massie have proposed legislation to mandate the disclosure of Epstein-related documents, but House Speaker Johnson, a top ally of the president, has blocked a vote on it. The two congressmen have distributed a petition that will force a vote on the bill, if 218 members of the House endorse it.

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

The petition has been endorsed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four Republicans. The 218th signature is anticipated to come from Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in Arizona last month, and awaits inauguration by the Speaker. However, the House leader has refused to do so until the House comes back into session, and has stated he won’t instruct representatives to come back to the capital until the Senate approves a measure to end the ongoing government shutdown.