Two prominent Democratic lawmakers have publicly condemned Prince Andrew's refusal to respond to their request for testimony in the ongoing congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking network.
Deadline Passes Without Response
Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the House oversight committee, and Suhas Subramanyam issued a strong statement on Friday after the deadline they had set for Prince Andrew to respond to their deposition request passed without any communication from the former royal.
The lawmakers had sent a formal letter earlier this month seeking Prince Andrew's cooperation in their inquiry into Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The deadline for response expired on Thursday, prompting the Democrats' public criticism.
Mounting Pressure and Limited Options
"Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's silence in the face of the Oversight Democrats' demand for testimony speaks volumes," Garcia and Subramanyam stated. They emphasized that documents obtained by the committee, many from Epstein's estate, along with testimony from abuse survivor Virginia Giuffre, "raise serious questions" that the former prince "must answer, yet he continues to hide".
Despite their determination, Democrats on the investigative committee face significant challenges in compelling Prince Andrew to cooperate. As the minority party, they lack the power to issue subpoenas, and Republican chair James Comer has not indicated whether he would take such action against the former prince.
Even if a subpoena were issued, legal experts note that Prince Andrew - who has consistently denied any wrongdoing - could avoid penalties for non-compliance by simply refusing to travel to the United States.
New Legislation and Political Complications
The lawmakers' statement comes shortly after former President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law. This legislation requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release documents related to the government's handling of Epstein's case within 30 days.
Trump, who was once friendly with Epstein, initially attempted to block the bill's progress through Congress but relented when it became clear it had sufficient support to pass the House of Representatives. The new law does include exemptions for documents that could compromise national security or ongoing investigations.
In a separate development, Garcia wrote to Bondi on Friday expressing concerns about "politically motivated investigations" following her announcement that she would investigate ties between Epstein and Democrats. This came shortly after Trump publicly demanded such an investigation.
The justice department is currently sitting on approximately 300 gigabytes of files related to Epstein, according to sources familiar with the matter. These include interview transcripts, court documents, emails, and records from both the 2008 investigation that led to Epstein's guilty plea in Florida and the 2019 sex trafficking investigation in New York.
Despite the challenges, Garcia and Subramanyam remain resolute: "Our work will move forward with or without him, and 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."
