American Congressman Calls On Ex-Royal Andrew to Provide Testimony in Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
A Democratic Party representative has demanded the former prince Andrew Windsor to testify before the US House of Representatives committee that is currently conducting an inquiry into the official handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Bipartisan Demands for Testimony
The declaration from Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative from California who serves on the House oversight committee, comes after a British trade official, Chris Bryant, suggested that since Mountbatten Windsor has been stripped of his royal titles, he should respond to requests for details about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, an alleged sex trafficker who died by suicide 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 reasonable individual to comply with that request,” the minister said.
The congressman commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the investigative committee. The people have a right to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
Partisan Environment and Investigation Developments
Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives, but following public pressure over Donald Trump’s handling of the Epstein case authorized an investigation by the oversight committee into how the government handled his legal proceedings. Interest in the case flared in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a much-rumored list of Epstein’s sex trafficking clients was non-existent, and it would share nothing further on the case.
The congressional probe has so far led to the publication of thousands of documents – including an explicit sketch reportedly drawn by Donald Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as sworn statements from former top government officials.
Legislative Actions and Obstacles
As a member of the minority, Khanna does not have the power to subpoena the former prince’s appearance. Representatives for the committee’s Republican chair, Chairman Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he thinks the former prince should be interviewed.
The Democrat and Republican Congressman Massie have introduced a bill to force the release of files related to Epstein, but House Speaker Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has blocked a vote on it. The two congressmen have circulated a discharge petition that will force a vote on the bill, if a majority of representatives sign it.
“This is what my effort with Representative Massie has been about: transparency and justice for the victims who have been courageously speaking out,” Khanna said.
The petition has been endorsed by all 213 Democratic representatives, as well as four Republicans. The 218th signature is anticipated to come from Representative-elect Grijalva, who won a special election in the state of Arizona last month, and awaits swearing in by Johnson. However, the speaker has refused to do so until the House comes back into session, and says he will not tell lawmakers to return to Washington until the Senate passes a measure to end the ongoing government shutdown.