US Lawmaker Urges Ex-Royal Andrew to Testify in Epstein Inquiry
A Democratic Party congressman has demanded the ex-royal Andrew Windsor to testify before the US House of Representatives investigative panel that is currently conducting an investigation into the official handling of the Epstein case.
Cross-Party Demands for Testimony
The statement from Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative from California who serves on the House oversight committee, follows a British trade official, Chris Bryant, suggested that since the former prince has been stripped of his royal status, he should respond to requests for details about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, an accused 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 anticipate any reasonable individual to honor that request,” Bryant said.
The congressman stated: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the investigative committee. The public deserves to know who was abusing women and young girls with Epstein.”
Political Landscape and Investigation Progress
Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives, but following public pressure over former President Trump’s management of the Epstein case approved an inquiry by the House committee into how the authorities managed his legal proceedings. Interest in the case flared in July, after the justice department announced that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s associates was non-existent, and it would provide no additional information on the case.
The House investigation has so far led to the publication of thousands of documents – including a lewd drawing reportedly drawn by Trump for Epstein’s birthday – as well as depositions from ex-government leaders.
Legislative Actions and Obstacles
As a member of the minority, the representative lacks the authority to compel the former prince’s appearance. Representatives for the committee’s Republican chair, Chairman Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he thinks the ex-royal should be questioned.
The Democrat and Republican Congressman Massie have introduced a bill to mandate the disclosure of Epstein-related documents, but Mike Johnson, a top ally of the president, has refused to bring it up for a vote. Massie and Khanna have distributed a petition that will force a vote on the bill, if a majority of representatives sign it.
“This is what my effort with Congressman Massie has been about: transparency and justice for the survivors who have been courageously speaking out,” Khanna said.
The appeal has been signed by all 213 Democratic representatives, as well as four Republicans. The final required signature is anticipated to come from Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in Arizona last month, and awaits inauguration by Johnson. 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 bill to resolve the federal shutdown.