Content: Washington — Former Prince Andrew of Britain has not responded to a request from U.S. lawmakers regarding his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Members of a U.S. Congressional committee announced this development. Sixteen Democratic lawmakers signed a letter inviting Andrew to participate in a "transcribed interview" with the House of Representatives oversight committee, which is investigating Epstein. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.

The letter requested that Andrew, who is now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor after losing his royal titles due to his association with Epstein, respond by November 20. However, since U.S. Congress cannot compel testimony from foreign nationals, it was always uncertain whether Andrew would agree to participate.

Democrats currently hold a minority position in the House. In a statement, committee members Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyan remarked, "Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s silence in the face of the Oversight Democrats’ demand for testimony speaks volumes. The documents we’ve reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s testimony, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide."

Recent emails released by the committee and a posthumous memoir by Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexual assault, have reignited public anger in the UK regarding Andrew's ties to Epstein. Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre's allegations, which claim she was trafficked to engage in sexual acts with him on three occasions, including twice when she was 17 years old. In 2022, Andrew settled a lawsuit with Giuffre for a multi-million-pound sum without admitting guilt.

Giuffre, a citizen of both the U.S. and Australia, died by suicide in April at her home in Australia. Garcia and Subramanyan emphasized that the committee's investigation into Epstein's network would continue, stating, "We will hold anyone who was involved in these crimes accountable, no matter their wealth, status, or political party. We will get justice for the survivors."