Bipartisan Calls Grow for Royal Testimony
Vice President JD Vance has endorsed bipartisan efforts to summon Prince Andrew before U.S. lawmakers investigating connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The remarks came during a wide-ranging interview where Vance cited recent statements by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging cooperation with investigators.
“I’m certainly open to it,” Vance stated regarding potential congressional testimony. “I’ll let [Congress] determine whether they should talk to Prince Andrew. But it’s their call, not mine.”
New Documents Reveal Elite Connections
Recently released Justice Department files reportedly show Andrew maintaining frequent contact with Epstein for over two years after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. The documents allegedly include photographs of the Duke of York touching a woman’s waist and email correspondence discussing social meetings and business proposals.
Vance characterized the revelations as exposing “a pretty incestuous nature to America’s elites,” while notably asserting the records clear former President Donald Trump of close association. “He never really was friendly with Epstein in a way that a lot of these other people were,” the Vice President claimed.
International Pressure Mounts
Prime Minister Starmer previously stated that “anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information” when questioned about Andrew’s potential testimony. This aligns with bipartisan congressional interest following the prince’s £12 million settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual assault before her death last April. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations.
Additional documents reportedly reveal Epstein arranging a 2010 dinner date between Andrew and a Russian woman described as “clever, beautiful, and trustworthy.” Records also indicate Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson offered to connect Epstein with single women after his criminal conviction.
Legal and Diplomatic Hurdles
While Congress cannot legally subpoena foreign nationals, lawmakers previously invited Andrew to testify following earlier Epstein document releases in November. The royal declined despite references to “massages for Andrew” in Epstein’s financial records and a 2011 email where Andrew allegedly wrote “We are in this together” to the disgraced financier.
King Charles III stripped his brother of royal titles in 2022 amid renewed scrutiny of the Epstein connection. Andrew has not publicly addressed the latest document release, though he was reportedly seen driving near Windsor earlier this week.
Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, with authorities ruling the death a suicide.
