A Democratic Party representative has publicly called for the former prince Andrew Windsor to testify before the US House of Representatives committee that is carrying out an inquiry into the government’s handling of the Epstein case.
Cross-Party Demands for Testimony
The statement from Ro Khanna, a California Democratic representative who is a member of the House oversight committee, follows a UK trade minister, Chris Bryant, suggested that since Mountbatten Windsor has been stripped of his royal titles, he should respond to requests for details about his dealings with 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 honor that request,” Bryant said.
The congressman commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the investigative committee. The public deserves to know who was abusing women and young girls with Epstein.”
Partisan Landscape and Investigation Developments
Republicans hold the majority in the House, but following public pressure over Donald Trump’s handling of the Epstein matter approved an inquiry by the oversight committee into how the authorities managed his legal proceedings. Public interest surged 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 thus far resulted in the publication of tens of thousands of pages – including an explicit sketch reportedly drawn by Donald Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as sworn statements from former top government officials.
Legal Actions and Challenges
As a member of the minority, the representative lacks the authority to compel the former prince’s appearance. Spokespeople for the Republican committee chairman, Chairman Comer, declined to comment 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 House Speaker Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has blocked a vote on it. Massie and Khanna have circulated a discharge petition that will require the bill be voted on, if 218 members of the House sign it.
“This is what my campaign with Representative Massie has been about: transparency and justice for the victims who have been courageously speaking out,” the lawmaker said.
The petition has been signed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four Republicans. The final required signature is anticipated to come from Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in the state of Arizona last month, and awaits inauguration by the Speaker. However, the speaker has declined to act until the House reconvenes, and has stated he won’t instruct representatives to return to Washington until the Senate approves a bill to resolve the federal shutdown.
