The Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is facing stark accusations from a senior US congressman that he is 'hiding' from officials who want to question him about his connections to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Congressional Ultimatum and Allegations
A US government committee has given the former prince a deadline of this Thursday to respond to its request for a 'transcribed interview'. The letter, sent to Andrew ten days ago, was signed by 16 members of Congress, including Democrat Suhas Subramanyam of the House Oversight Committee.
Mr Subramanyam did not mince his words when speaking to The Guardian, alleging that Andrew 'has been hiding from us, and I think he will continue to try to hide from people doing meaningful investigations of this matter.' He further emphasised the committee's persistence, stating, 'It seems like every time we find more evidence, prince Andrew seems to be in the documents... if he is hoping that the story will just go away by ignoring us and being silent, he will be sorely disappointed.'
The committee's investigation has identified specific financial records that raise serious questions, including those with notations such as 'massage for Andrew'.
Broader Political Context and Document Release
The pressure on Andrew comes amidst a significant political push in the United States to release a trove of documents related to the Epstein case. US President Donald Trump has now said House Republicans should vote to release the files, a reversal of his previous position. On Sunday, he posted on social media, 'We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax.'
Democrats and some Republicans are supporting a measure that would compel the US Justice Department to make public all files and communications concerning Epstein. This could also include information about the investigation into his suicide in prison in 2019.
Mounting Scrutiny in the UK
Andrew's troubles are not confined to the United States. Earlier this month, he was stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles. This action came ahead of the publication of memoirs by the late Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager—an accusation he strenuously denies.
Further damaging allegations have emerged in British newspapers, suggesting that Andrew attempted to get the Metropolitan Police to dig up information for a smear campaign against Ms Giuffre. The force has confirmed it is looking into reports that, in 2011, Andrew passed Ms Giuffre’s date of birth and social security number to his taxpayer-funded bodyguard and asked him to investigate.
As the Thursday deadline looms, the world watches to see if the former royal will break his silence with the US Congress or face intensified accusations of evasion.
