American Lawmaker Urges Ex-Royal Andrew to Provide Testimony in Epstein Investigation
A Democratic representative has publicly called for the ex-royal Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to testify before the House of Representatives committee that is carrying out an inquiry into the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Cross-Party Demands for Evidence
The statement from Ro Khanna, a California Democratic representative who is a member of the House oversight committee, follows 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 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 anticipate any reasonable individual to comply with that request,” the minister said.
Khanna stated: “Andrew should be called to testify before the oversight committee. The people have a right to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”
Political Environment and Investigation Developments
GOP members control the majority in the House of Representatives, but following public pressure over former President Trump’s management of the Epstein matter authorized an investigation by the oversight committee into how the authorities managed his prosecutions. Public interest surged in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s associates did not exist, and it would share nothing further on the case.
The House investigation has so far led to the publication of thousands of documents – including a lewd drawing apparently made by Donald Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as sworn statements from former top government officials.
Legal Actions and Challenges
As a minority party member, the representative does not have the power to compel Mountbatten Windsor’s testimony. Representatives for the committee’s Republican chair, Chairman Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he believes the ex-royal should be questioned.
Khanna and Thomas Massie have introduced a bill 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 force a vote on the bill, if 218 members of the House sign it.
“This is what my effort with Representative Massie has been about: openness and justice for the survivors who have been bravely sharing their stories,” Khanna said.
The petition has been signed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four GOP members. The final required signature is anticipated to come from Representative-elect Grijalva, who was elected in the state of Arizona last month, and awaits swearing in 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 come back to the capital until the Senate approves a measure to end the ongoing government shutdown.
